Post-earthquake seismic assessment of a heritage masonry school: comparative evaluation of field observation and nonlinear FE time-history analyses

Abstract

This study evaluates the seismic performance of the historic Gazi Primary School in Malatya, Türkiye, a representative example of early-period masonry architecture damaged during the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes (Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6). Reliable post-earthquake assessment of heritage masonry buildings requires the combined interpretation of field damage, material properties, soil conditions, and nonlinear seismic response. Post-earthquake field surveys documented damage patterns and identified critical structural weaknesses. Material properties of the stone and mortar were established through a combined program of non-destructive and destructive tests. Using these parameters, a detailed three-dimensional finite element model was developed, and nonlinear time-history analyses were performed with recorded strong-motion data to reproduce the building’s seismic response and identify the most vulnerable zones. The predicted numerical damage distribution was compared with observed field damage to evaluate agreement between simulations and actual behavior. Overall, the study offers practical insight into the seismic response of heritage masonry school buildings and supports more reliable post-earthquake damage assessment and decision-making for cultural heritage structures. The analyses showed that the 2023 Elbistan record produced the maximum displacement demands, while the numerical tensile damage patterns were generally consistent with the observed in-plane and out-of-plane damage zones.