NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- Reconnaissance Report of Damage to Historic Monuments in Cairo, Egypt Following the October 12, 1992 Dahshur Earthquake.
- File
- PB94142221.pdf
- Author(s)
- Sykora, D.; Look, D.; Croci, G.; Karaesmen, E.
- Source
- National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, Buffalo, NY.; National Science Foundation, Washington, DC., August 19, 1993, 162 p.
- Abstract
- On October 12, 1992, a moderate earthquake occurred near Dahshur, Egypt, about 20 km south of Cairo. The intensity of ground shaking at historic districts of Cairo was VI to VII using the Modified Mercalli scale and 212 of 560 monuments in Cairo were reportedly damaged although none destroyed. Damage to historic monuments can be generally described as having resulted from the continuous degradation of foundation and structural masonry from environmental effects, especially groundwater, inadequate lateral structural resistance, and the subsequent imposition of light to moderate earthquake forces. The study provides specific examples of how monuments ranging from 80 to about 1500 years in age, in various conditions, respond to near-field motions from a moderate-magnitude earthquake and helps to define problems that research studies can solve. It also provides strong evidence that a preservation strategy be adopted for historic monuments in Cairo that embraces scientific and engineering knowledge to understand these monuments and propose the least invasive repair and retrofit procedures.
- Keywords
- Cracking (Fracturing); Masonry; Cairo (Egypt); Damage assessment; Historic sites; Architecture; Construction; Earthquake engineering; Historic buildings; Soil dynamics; Soil-structure interactions; Structural response; Seismic effects; Earthquakes