Abstract
The protection of earthen sites plays an important role in the context of preservation of cultural heritage, especially in the inheritance and promotion of history and culture. The aim of the paper is to present the essential results of an ongoing research on a reinforced rammed earthen wall in Suoyang City (Guazhou, China). The wall vibrations caused by ambient actions were analyzed using the stochastic subspace algorithm to estimate the modal parameters of the wall. The frequencies of the first three orders are 3.566 Hz, 5.003 Hz, and 6.250 Hz, and the corresponding modes are first-order transverse bending, second-order left and right torsion, and third-order vertical bending, respectively. Then, according to the data of elastic modulus obtained in the lab, the finite element calculation is carried out, and referring to the results of field measurement, the revised elastic modulus value is 205.90 MPa. It is worth mentioning that the revised value is significantly improved from the original laboratory value, and it is also indicated that the seismic performance of the reinforced wall has been significantly improved. The present work is expected to provide a theoretical basis for reinforcement, protection, and seismic control of earthen ruins.
Highlights
Modal analysis is a crucial method in structural dynamics [1]. e interest on ancient architectural sites has increased the need for characteristics of the structures in these sites
Natural environment, and human factors, the structures in earthen ruins were vulnerable to plenty of diseases, such as sheet spalling, hollowing, fissure joints, washouts, and biological damage, which are likely to result in destruction of earthen sites. erefore, the conservation of earthen sites is imminent [3]
Operational modal analysis and parameter identification are mostly applied to building structures but rarely to the reinforced walls of Advances in Materials Science and Engineering earthen site structures
Summary
Modal analysis is a crucial method in structural dynamics [1]. e interest on ancient architectural sites has increased the need for characteristics of the structures in these sites. Li et al and Liu et al conducted pulsation tests on the walls of earthen sites and obtained the spectral characteristics of the walls and self-oscillation behaviors [4, 5]. They gained some structural properties for earthen sites, their data for analysis were obtained from one specific point, i.e., from the bottom or the top of the site walls, whereas the structural properties for one single point of the wall often differed from the those of the whole wall. Operational modal analysis and parameter identification are mostly applied to building structures but rarely to the reinforced walls of Advances in Materials Science and Engineering earthen site structures. The equivalent elastic modulus of the reinforced wall is determined by combining the measurements with the result of finite element method (FEM) analysis
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