Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Andean Constructions: Structural Typification of Historical Churches Using Digital Technologies

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for the structural typification of historical buildings located in earthquake-prone regions using digital technologies such as HBIM and Augmented Reality. The paper starts by presenting a detailed analysis of a selected sample of case studies in Peru in which key structural and architectural features were identified, aiming at proposing a preliminary typological classification. This typification was then optimized by analyzing its application in a larger data set consisting of 311 churches located in the Central Andes region. This allowed formalizing 12 structural typologies, which demonstrated to have the potential to provide an accurate description of the geometrical, material, and structural characteristics of Andean churches. The paper underlines the importance of combining digital technologies and comprehensive engineering analyses for creating tools that will facilitate further structural evaluations and seismic vulnerability assessments at a territorial scale. For the study, these tools improved information management processes, analyses, and post-processing tasks, and facilitated communication and decision-making among stakeholders.

KEYWORDS:

• Andean churches
• Augmented reality
• extended reality
• HBIM
• historical buildings
• seismic vulnerability assessment
• structural typification

Acknowledgments

This research was performed by the Laboratory of Engineering and Heritage at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). The authors acknowledge the funding provided by DGI-PUCP within the framework of Project N° 2019-692.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú [2019-692].