Interaction of the Zymne monastery buildings with the soil base under seismic loads

Abstract

The work presents numerous research findings on the stressstrain state of a building within the “base–basement–construction” system under a seismic load. The soil array was considered as volumetric nonlinear elastic viscose and plastic environment with a new computed behavioral pattern. The latter accounts for peculiarities of viscose and elastic deformation of marginally stiff soil under a dynamic load, elastic and plastic deformation regarding structural strength and possibilities of strengthening, and energy loss in interaction with the environment. We have revealed the underlying principles of the model. Problems can be solved effectively by the FEM-based variety of the central difference method for heterogeneous systems, which allows to increase the average time integration step and to make effective use of parallel solution methods. As an example, there was created a three-dimensional model of the Assumption (Uspensky) Cathedral of the Zymne Monastery. The modeling was based on the automated system for scientific research “VESNA-DYN” and a modified (explicit) central difference method. According to the findings, seismic loads result in irreversible plastic deformations that significantly impact the stress-strain state (SSS) of constructions. The analysis has exposed the areas of stress concentration that lead to possible damages of constructions. The research has traced emergence and evolution of a tilt resulting from irreversible soil deformations. We have estimated the overall carrying capacity of the church structures.