After successful completion of the course, students are able to apply basic scientific working practices and methods of archaeometry, especially archaeoseismology, in the field of "Building Archeology", to read damage patterns as a result of earthquakes and to critically question their triggers.
ARCHAEOSEISMOLOGY
The consequences of earthquakes are probably among the most terrible natural disasters to which humans are exposed - not least in cities. The damage caused and the attempt to mitigate it in the event of future seismic movements shape the appearance of architecture and cities in many places. They are decisive for the use of building materials and construction, building typologies and access systems, but also for the transformation and functioning resilience of cities.
Tracing this phenomenon is the task of the course. The methods range from on-site masonry analysis (reading the masonry stratigraphy and interpreting the damage/crack patterns, examining the mechanics of the masonry) to archival work.
On the one hand, archaeoseismology looks at the effects and causes of historical earthquakes from a mechanical perspective, but on the other hand, in the analysis of damage patterns in historical buildings and in interdisciplinary exchange, it can contribute to optimisation in modern building technology and earthquake protection, as well as define future guidelines for earthquake-resistant building.
>>> The dates are as follows:
- Our first meeting will be on Saturday (13 Nov) from 9:30 to 12:30, with an introduction to the topic and a small workshop.
- The next two dates will be "two long Saturdays" (20 Nov and 27 Nov) as a kind of "study days", each from 9:00 to about 18:00: this will be a workshop format with practical exercises and discussion as well as guest lectures by colleagues.
Grading will be based on your results of the practical exercises, your contributions to the discussion in the workshops and a concise project paper.
The course is composed as follows ...
Theory/Basics:
- Lectures as an introduction to the topic
- Further impulse lectures as preparation for the practical exercises
- Interviews with experts
Practice:
- Recording of structures, recognition of seismic effects and analysis of seismically induced damage
- Interpretation of seismic effects (selected examples)
- Reconstruction attempts (construction phases, collapse phases, causes and consequences)
- Photo documentation and 3D models (SFM method)
- Damage mapping (identification of seismic effects on a monument/monument - cracks, deformations etc. in masonry and construction)
- Identification of historical repairs as preventive measures
- Instability analysis: mechanics of masonry
- Discussion of case studies from antiquity and the Middle Ages
This course is recommended as a supplement for participants of the 251.691 module "Building Archaeology" ...
Dr Laura Pecchioli:
In her academic and professional career as an architect, Dr. Laura Pecchioli focused on technologies for the restoration of monuments and the conservation of archaeological sites and was involved in various interdisciplinary research projects in the field of Building Archaeology. Subsequently, she specialised in the thematic complex of "historical earthquakes" and is particularly concerned with archaeological and heritage conservation issues in connection with damage to historical architecture resulting from natural disasters and armed conflicts.
Dr. Pecchioli completed her studies in architecture (with a focus on monument conservation and archaeological restoration) at the University of Florence and subsequently worked there as an assistant and lecturer. At Humboldt University Berlin, she was then able to gain experience in teaching and coordinating student working groups in the fields of archaeoseismology and structural engineering. As part of a European Ph.D. in Technology and Management in Cultural Heritage at TU-Berlin and IMT Advanced Studies Lucca, she developed a method for recording spatial data and archiving it, which is used in various projects in both the archaeological and museum fields. For example, Dr Pecchioli also designed the new museum of the Priscilla Catacombs in Rome on behalf of the Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra. She is currently conducting research at the Humboldt University in Berlin with a focus on "Archaeoseismology" and "Urban Resilience", working on her habilitation and developing projects in the field of disaster risk management.
Dr. Laura Pecchioli has a large number of international publications to her credit, she is editor and publisher of journals in the field of cultural heritage and seismology, reviewer and member of several scientific commissions on post-disaster reconstruction and seismology.
