Seismic vulnerability of historic brick masonry buildings in Vienna

Abstract

This paper presents a seismic vulnerability analysis of historic brick masonry buildings in Vienna, Austria from the period of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy (1840–1918). The vulnerability study is based on comprehensive data from the devastating earthquake damage to the masonry buildings in Zagreb, Croatia on March 22, 2020, which are from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and comparable to Viennese buildings from that period, as well as on comprehensive numerical structural analyses calibrated on in situ test series. The statistical analysis of the earthquake damage to the Zagreb masonry stock and the comprehensive numerical simulations, allowed profound conclusions about the proportional damage distribution over individual structural areas of the masonry buildings, considering construction-specific characteristics such as the building height, the structural regularity/irregularity or the construction type under the ground level. This study enhances the still limited knowledge about the vulnerability of the historic brick masonry buildings from the period of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and allows extensive conclusions about the seismic vulnerability of these buildings.