FE model update of a historic masonry building after restoration. The case of the Palacio Pereira in Santiago, Chile

Abstract

The Palacio Pereira, located in Santiago – Chile, is a historic masonry building that was severely damaged by the March 3, 1985 (Mw 8.0) and February 27, 2010 (Mw 8.8) earthquakes. This building was declared a National Monument in 1981, and its restoration began in 2016 after more than 30 years of complete abandonment. The seismic upgrade process included the repair of the existing structural damage and the execution of strengthening strategies to improve the seismic performance. In this context, this paper presents a brief description of the main works aimed at returning structural integrity, as well as the strengthening interventions carried out to improve the future seismic performance. In addition, the main results of an in-situ experimental campaign, aimed at identifying modal parameters from the response to ambient vibrations, are presented and discussed. Finally, a 3D Finite Element (FE) model of the building is updated by modifying the density and Young modulus of masonry to improve the matching between experimental and analytical frequencies. Results show that the new floor system provides a certain degree of diagram constraint