Seismic vulnerability assessment and fragility analysis of Iranian historical mosques in Kermanshah city

Kermanshah is a city in Iran's Zagros seismotectonic region regarded as one of the cradles of prehistoric and historic cultures. This novel study investigates the quantitative assessment of the seismic vulnerability of historical buildings in Kermanshah using numerical modeling. This study uses the hybrid method to estimate seismic vulnerability for seven mosques in Kermanshah's historical heritage. The structures are modeled by macro-elements. The material properties for the numerical models of the mosques are calibrated through ambient vibration tests. Furthermore, the efficiency and accuracy of Italian indirect method in evaluating the damage probability in Iranian historical buildings could be determined by the comparison with the hybrid method results. Moreover, it provides the knowledge for developing these methods by the architecture and structural specifications of Iranian historical structures. In the indirect method, the aggregate effect of mosques interacting with other structures is taken into account. Finally, considering local site effects, the fragility curves of both methods are developed and compared to each other at the probable design acceleration acquired from the Iranian seismic standard. The results show the seismic vulnerability of investigated mosques and the necessity to provide some parameters for the type of ceiling and configuration of the aggregates to evaluate the Iranian historical structures by indirect method more effectively.