ON THE INFLUENCE OF ROAD AND RAIL TRAFFIC ON SEISMIC VULNERABILITY OF HISTORIC MASONRY BUILDINGS

In the event of the earthquake that struck the city of Zagreb on the 22nd of March 2020. many of the buildings in the old city centre suffered from various types of damage. Most of the masonry buildings in the old city of Zagreb are over 100 years old, and so is the tramway infrastructure running alongside the buildings. The long operational period of tramway traffic can be an important factor when we talk about the influence of traffic-induced vibrations on the seismic vulnerability of the buildings. Long-term exposure to high levels of traffic-induced vibrations can lead to mortar deterioration and detachment of masonry units. To analyse the influence of vibrations induced by tramway traffic, historic data on tram operations and earthquake damage have been investigated. Segmentation of rail tracks was made taking into consideration the distance between the track and surrounding buildings as well as the assessment of damage on the buildings after a recent 2020 earthquake. Furthermore, to inspect the influence of various types of traffic on the surrounding buildings, eight different locations in Zagreb’s urban core have been chosen for statistical analysis (six streets in the north-south direction and two intersections).