Abstract
This article presents a study on the structural behavior of the Government Building that is part of the old Lecumberri Palace and which currently houses the Mexican General Archive of the Nation. This building was inaugurated in 1900 and closed in 1976, after serving as a prison for 76 years. It was reopened in 1982 after it had undergone several remodeling works. The construction is made of brick masonry with lime mortar. It is supported by a deposit of overly compressible high-plasticity clays. The main problems of this building are the appearance of cracks in both interior and exterior walls, and moisture in the ground floor, caused by differential settlements. The study entailed a geometric and a damage survey as well as ambient vibration tests in order to determine the dynamic properties of the construction. The data obtained was used for the making of a model that, using the finite element method, was analyzed under different load conditions. This study has focused on the overall response with the assumption of smeared crack damage. According to the results, the building’s safety was deemed as acceptable. It has the capability to withstand seismic actions as established by the Mexican Building Code due to the high density of its walls and the resulting stiffness, which infer that the fundamental vibration period of the building would be distant from the predominant vibration period of the soil. This highlights the idea that the building’s critical condition is constituted by the differential settlements, which cause damage in the construction.
Highlights
The General Archive of the Nation is located in what once was the Lecumberri Palace Prison, north-east of Mexico City, in Mexico
Maximum live loads are used for the gravitational analysis and immediate settlements; instant live loads are used for the seismic analysis; average live loads are used for differential settlements
The safety factor due to the own weight was of 5.3. It was obtained by the relation of the compressive strength of the masonry and the average stress at the base of the model
Summary
The General Archive of the Nation is located in what once was the Lecumberri Palace Prison, north-east of Mexico City, in Mexico. The main objective is to preserve the historic memory of Mexico in optimal conditions, both physical and environmental For this reason, the authorities, concerned for its preservation as a historic building, requested information about its current state. The authorities, concerned for its preservation as a historic building, requested information about its current state To this effect, a study on the structural behavior of the Government. Special attention was paid to the information regarding the structure, which shed light on the specific characteristics of its original state, and the works and interventions to which it was subjected over time. The smeared crack damage assumption is used This type of model has has been widely used in the analysis of unreinforced brick masonry with good results [6,7].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
