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Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Sri Kedarnath Temple in India
Date Issued
01-01-2019
Author(s)
Bhowmik, Tamali
Mahesh Reddy, G.
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
Abstract
Sri Kedarnath temple, located in the Central Seismic Gap in Himalayan region in India is an ancient Hindu temple, which represents India’s rich history of culture, religion, science and technology. The temple structure is composed of concentric enclosures with the innermost sanctum sanctorum roofed with corbelled dome and tapering tower. Multi-leaf, dry stack stone masonry constructions with strong irregularities in plan and elevation along with the uncertainties related to the material and geometric characteristics of the temple pose various challenges to systematic seismic verification. Role of diaphragms to resist the lateral load is another area of concern. In addition, the selection of a unique seismic analysis strategy was a challenge. On the other hand, the effectiveness of non-linear dynamic analysis depends largely on selection of ground motion records, apart from the challenge of high computational demand. The current study addresses these issues by analyzing the outcomes of a comprehensive parametric study. Non-linear static and dynamic analyses have been performed on the 3D numerical model by considering the uncertainties in material parameters such as Elastic modulus of stone, Friction angle and compressive strength of stone joints. Synthetic ground motion records with PGA varying from 0.2Â g to 1.0Â g were used for TH analysis. The study reveals that the tapering tower above the sanctum is susceptible to collapse due to sliding shear failure.
Volume
18