Seismic assessment of historic concrete structures: The case of Pedieos Post Office in Nicosia, Cyprus

Abstract

Monuments are buildings in which historical, archaeological and cultural values are displayed, yet their lack of seismic detailing and design renders them dangerous for public use and prone to collapse and permanent loss, especially in countries located in seismic zones. Furthermore, the existing European regulatory framework does not oblige the owners of such structures to assess and retrofit them against earthquakes, thus leading to dangerous user safety conditions and possible permanent loss of historic concrete structures in a seismic scenario. This paper examines one of the culturally significant historic concrete structures of Cyprus. It assesses the seismic capacity of the structure by means of comparing various analysis methods and highlights the urgent need for a new relevant regulatory framework regarding historic concrete structures. The results are used to formulate recommendations that should be incorporated in future regulations in order to protect both the users and the concrete heritage structures themselves.