Preliminary assessment of the seismic vulnerability of load-bearing masonry buildings in Malta through numerical modelling

Abstract

The seismic risk is Malta is perceived to be low, and no significant events have been recorded in recent years. In 1693, a major earthquake struck about 170 kilometres from Malta, devastating south-eastern Sicily, and causing serious damage in buildings in Malta with historical records of significant damage in Mdina but also in Valletta, Rabat and elsewhere.Research suggests that a similar earthquake on the same fault could occur every few hundred years. The present study is part of a wider research initiative in Malta focusing on the vulnerability of buildings to seismic activity including the vulnerability of unreinforced masonry buildings, their characteristics contributing to seismic vulnerability and their effect on the adjacent structures. [excerpt]