Dynamic Characteristics of Comares Palace in the Alhambra

Abstract

This paper describes the geotechnical investigations that have been conducted to characterize the static and dynamic properties of the ground, the foundation and the structure\u27s material of the Comares tower in the Alhambra palace. The Gmax values of the different materials were determined using seismic refraction, P-wave transmission tomography, cross-hole and down-hole tests. To obtain the variation of the shear moduli with strain amplitude surface wave and cyclic horizontal plate loading tests were performed in several trenches excavated in the immediate neighborhood. The analysis of the structure response to M = 5 earthquakes recently recorded at the top and the bottom of the Tower allowed to check the dynamic properties of the materials estimated previously

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