Investigation of Yivli Minaret's earthquake resistance

July 2019; 47 pages The preservation of historic masonry structures and the adaptation to future generations with confidence is an interdisciplinary field of study that is becoming increasingly popular today. Whether the historical structures need retrofitting or not is important in terms of the safety of the structures and the efficient use of our resources. The earthquake is one of the biggest risks for the buildings. It is a fact that our country is within the earthquake zone and this increases the importance of the risk analysis in this area. The Yivli Minaret, built in the 13th century by the Anatolian Seljuks in Antalya, has become one of the symbolic structures of the city with its extraordinary architecture design. There is no study supported by 3D model and experimental study in the literature about the resistance of the Yivli Minaret to the earthquake. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the earthquake resistance of Yivli Minaret by using finite element modelling (FEM) and health monitoring technique. In order to determine the dynamic properties of the Yivli Minaret, an accelerometer was placed on the top of the structure. With Fourier transform, the data were converted to frequency time domain and the frequency of the structure was determined. Materials such as stone, brick, mortar and plank are defined as a single composite material in the FEM. The modulus of elasticity was obtained by using the relationship between the elasticity module of the composite material and the building period. The three dimensional model of the Yivli Minaret was created in the SOLIDWORKS program. Static and dynamic analysis of the structure is performed by using the analysis program called ANSYS Workbench which can make solutions according to the FEM. With modal analysis, the dominant periods of the structure were determined and mass participation ratios were examined. In this study, the different analysis methods such as static analysis under vertical loads, analysis according to the equivalent earthquake force method and dynamic analysis according to the mode superposition method were done. The stress values which obtained from the FEM analysis were compared with limit stresses which taken from studies in literature. As a result of the analysis, the shear stress was determined within the limits. On the other hand, the tensile and compressive stress exceeds the limit values taken from the literature. It is clear that to make a better comparison between FEM and existing structure in term of stress capacity the in situ tests should be performed. As a result of this study, the Yivli Minaret should be strengthened with a suitable technique.