Shaking Table Test on Unreinforced Stone Masonry Pagoda

Abstract

Unreinforced stone masonry pagodas have great cultural value and should be detailed investigation its mechanical properties. These buildings were not designed to resist earthquakes in ancient China, at least not in the way of current methods. The objectives of this research were to understand the dynamic behavior of unreinforced stone masonry pagoda and its seismic performance. To accomplish these, a 1/12 scale model of China Dinosaurs Pagoda was constructed and tested on shaking table. The octangle model height is 3.96m, with aspect ratio of height to width is 2.93, both parameters exceed the stipulated limit of Code for Seismic Design of Building. The model built with the stones and motars similar to the prototype materials and the arrangements. Its dynamic behavior and seismic performance were tested on the shaking table towards the free vibration and three earthquake waves. The experimental program adopted in the research is explained in this paper.