Influence of vibration and ground deformation on historic structures: Case study

Abstract

When discussing historic structures, a significant problem is how to preserve and protect these structures. The presented paper deals with some issues of the unfavourable impact of industrial activity on some historic structures. Long-term influences from the industrial activity are one of the common sources of damage observed in these structures. Due to the size and volume of such structures, they are characterized by very low resistance to vibration and ground deformations. At the same time, the high cultural and material value of historic structures necessitates their costly protection and repair. Knowing the origin of problems, one may take proper actions to protect them. This paper discusses two important types of impact typical for industrial areas, especially affected by mining, seismically induced vibrations and continuous ground deformations from underground extraction. The presented discussion is based on the case study examples of historical sites located in some industrial areas in the Czech Republic and Poland. They point to different sources of damage to those structures that may arise as well as a combined effect of mining-induced seismic events and land subsidence. The medieval Jeroným Mine represents an underground structure loaded with natural and technical seismicity. The paper also includes a short overview of the process of seismic loading evaluation and basic information about historic structures with respect to seismic standards and land surface subsidence caused by underground mining.