Constructii: Journal of Civil Engineering Research (Jul 2015)
Seismic response of Tropaeum Traiani monument, Romania, between history and earthquake engineering assessments
Abstract
The paper presents the content, rationale and preliminary results of a study of the seismic response of Tropaeum Traiani monument, at Adamclisi, in Southern Dobrudja. It is a unique structure of its kind in Romania and the only Roman Empire trophy having kept the original core and a large number of stone parts. There is neither a professional assessment of the seismic source and motion size that caused the upper part overturning, nor an analysis of the monument’s dynamic response, based on the remnant pieces. The research aims at deriving the earthquake resisting capacity of specific sections based on dimensions and detailing of stone components. In order to obtain some input accelerations likely to initiate oscillation, shearing or sliding and overturning of the monument specific parts, a reverse technique is considered. The preliminary study allowed the assessment of oscillation amplification patterns at different heights, indicating the direction of collapse of upper pieces. The data are in a good correlation with some previous INCERC data about the particular directivity of some Vrancea motions in Dobrudja in 1990 and with places of stone parts unearthing. The estimation of a range of historical time for the destructive earthquake is also a goal.
