DYNAMIC BEHAVIOUR OF ADOBE MASONRY HOUSES IN CENTRAL MEXICO

Julio Rojas ¹, Hugo Ferrer ², and Julio Cuenca S. ³

1. Civil Engineering Student, Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla, Mexico Email: juliocesar.rojas@alumno.upaep.mx
2. Director Engineering Department, Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla, Mexico Email: hugo.ferrer@upaep.mx
3. Instituto de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, Email: jccsa@pumas.ingen.unam.mx

ABSTRACT

The study of seismic vulnerability implies the analysis of the seismicity in a region and its effects on the constructions. In central Mexico, there are many constructions of adobe masonry (clay blocks), that depending on their characteristics could be a risk for their inhabitants in an earthquake. Most of these types of houses are located in rural communities where a great number of these houses have been reinforced without suitable work supervision (self-building). The present study analyzes real masonry structures built with adobe, located in Santa Maria Zacatepec, Puebla; Tlayacapan, Morelos; and Coyoacan, D.F. The study from the structure of adobe tries to obtain the dominant period of environmental vibration in order to know its dynamic behaviour in an earthquake. Records on the original structure and on a built scale model were taken only in Santa Maria Zacatepec. In this study the dominant period of the site was calculated by the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) from noise records. The dominant periods were considered to determinate its vulnerability in order to find the most efficient and economic method to reinforce adobe structures, using local materials. Also a scale model of the house 1:10 was tested reproducing seismic ground motion caused by an earthquake, in order to predict the damage level that can appear in the real structure. In this study the dominant period of the site was calculated with spectral ratios H/V and FFT from vibration records. Finally, a numerical model was made to compare the reproduced damage in both models

KEYWORDS: Adobe houses, central Mexico, dynamic behaviour, seismic test, scale model, seismic vulnerability, spectral ratio, period

B6-4