Seismic Vulnerability of Post-Islamic Monumental Structures in Iran: Review of Historical Sources

This paper reports on a study undertaken to investigate the earthquake performance and assess the seismic vulnerability of post-Islamic monumental structures in Iran. These structures are primarily of brick masonry construction, though some notable stone and mud-brick structures also exist. The structures are first classified according to their structural forms. A review of the available historical and recent sources on the earthquake behavior of different structural forms is then conducted. A second classification of the structures is subsequently made according to their seismic vulnerability. By estimating the location intensity for a large number of past and present structures, subjected to earthquakes in the last millennium, “damage” and “survival” intensity levels are calculated for different structural groups. Based on the estimated damage and survival intensity levels, an intensity scale is proposed for the post-Islamic historical structures in Iran.