‘The Teachers’ House”, Miqve Israel Agricultural School
December 11-12, 2011
December 11-12, 2011
Israel’s location near the Syro-African Rift Valley and an analysis of past events indicates a high probability of future earthquakes. At the time of an earthquake cultural heritage assets and historical buildings are likely to be damaged among other things. In Israel there are tens of thousands of historical buildings in the cities of Jerusalem, Akko, Haifa, Yafo etc.
The treatment of historical buildings requires proper engineering training. The existing standards and design guides usually deal with buildings that have a reinforced concrete frame, and they lack the guidance, standards and unique knowledge required to treat historical edifices before and after an earthquake.
The workshop was the initiative of the Interministerial Committee for Earthquake Preparation, Israel Antiquities Authority Conservation Department, Israel Engineers Association for Construction and Infrastructure and the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Padua, Italy, which is leading the Niker Project. This project, in which the Israel Antiquities Authority is a partner, researches the effect of earthquakes on historical buildings, examines ways of analyzing the durability of the buildings and finds effective solutions to protect and minimize damage.
In the seminar and workshop well-known experts presented their knowledge and unique experience concerning the durability analysis of historical buildings, the treatment of them and their reinforcement before an earthquake. In addition, survey techniques and the classification of damage and reinforcement required following an earthquake were discussed. During the lectures examples were given of buildings that were damaged in the earthquakes that struck in 2009 in Aquila, Italy, their engineering analysis and solutions for stabilizing the structures.
