Analysis of Seismic Retrofitting in Heritage Buildings: Techniques and Conservation Interventions

Earthquakes result in major structural damage or outright collapse of buildings. Recent earthquakes have shown that historic buildings retrofitted to withstand earthquakes survive better than those that have not been upgraded. India is a country with a rich architectural and cultural heritage with a large number of religious and secular buildings dating back to the 2nd century BC. Heritage buildings are especially vulnerable in case of an earthquake. If once they are lost a part of our history is lost forever. Although heritage buildings can be retrofitted to survive earthquakes, many retrofit practices damage or destroy the very features that make such buildings significant. So there is a need to conserve these buildings following the International Venice Charter issued in 1966 to regulate the conservation and restoration of monuments and sites worldwide. This paper studies the various aspects of seismic retrofitting of heritage buildings, new techniques being evolved worldwide, and also discusses preservation issues and scenarios of heritage conservation in India.