Investigation of the earthquake behavior of the historical Adana great clock tower using FEM updated based on environmental vibration data

Abstract

In this study, the historical Adana Great Clock tower's dynamic characteristics (natural frequencies and mode shapes) were determined using the operational modal analysis (OMA) method. The finite element model (FEM) of the Clock tower was updated based on the experimentally obtained dynamic characteristics. The update process was performed manually using the material properties of the Clock tower. Linear dynamic analyses of the structures under earthquake loadings were performed using its updated finite element model. The acceleration records of the 1998 Adana-Ceyhan earthquake, scaled according to the horizontal elastic design spectrum defined in TBEC (2018) were used for dynamic input. The displacements, maximum and minimum principal stresses of the Clock tower were obtained and evaluated. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that there was a potential for damage to the Clock tower due to exceeding the tensile strength of the walls, but the potential for damage to the Clock tower due to exceeding the compressive strength of the walls is weak.