Seismic assessment of Japanese traditional wooden structure by dynamic interaction numerical analysis of surrounding ground
We conducted seismic evaluations of a traditional wooden building using three-dimensional earthquake response analyses. The building is registered as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is located in a region of strong earthquake motion from a scenario earthquake. The structure is an invaluable asset, but it is at risk of damage resulting from earthquake. Our numerical estimation was based on a dynamic interaction analysis between the building and the surrounding ground because it was located on the slope of a hill with complicated geophysical features. We also conducted a dynamic non-interaction analysis of the structure for a comparison with the aforementioned interaction model. Boring explorations and geotechnical tests were conducted before the assessment in order to investigate the ground foundation. We included the surrounding ground for a more realistic analysis because the seismic estimation for a model consisting only of the main structure differs significantly from that of the structure-ground coupling model. The results showed that the main wooden building was at risk of partial damage as it exceeded the safety limits prescribed for a scenario earthquake, and would collapse in the case of double the amplitude of the scenario earthquake. Language: en