Seismic strengthening of historical stone masonry structures in Bosnia Herzegovina
Bosnia Herzegovina is situated in a seismically active region of south-eastern Europe where peak ground accelerations could reach 0.30-0.35 g. Robust and durable stone masonry buildings, which constitute an important part of cultural heritage, can be very vulnerable to earthquake motion. Design and construction procedures for rehabilitation and strengthening of two mosques dating from the Ottoman period are presented. The analyzed structures were heavily damaged in the 1969 earthquake, renovated afterwards and then completely blasted in 1993 during war time. Traditional and contemporary materials were used for retrofit of all bearing elements comprising domes, drums, squinches, pendentives, arches, walls, minarets and foundations. In the course of reconstruction, special attention was paid to seismic requirements of slender minarets susceptible to lateral loads. Static and response spectrum analysis were performed using beam, solid and shell finite elements. The challenge for structural engineer was to find equilibrium between aesthetical and structural demands. .