Ambient vibration testing, dynamic identification and model updating of a historical building. Chapel of the Wurzburg Residence (Germany)

Abstract

One of the main difficulties that can be detected in a historical building structural analysis is the high level of uncertainty associated with many factors affecting the behavior of the structure. Slight modifications of the mechanical properties of the structural materials, the soil-structure interaction or even the building construction process may be the cause of high changes between the results obtained from a numerical analysis and others estimated experimentally. Among the non-destructive techniques, the finite element model updating from the dynamic modal parameters identified experimentally, allows the adjustment of these models in order to obtain a more accurate estimation of behaviour of the structure. In the present paper, the implementation of this technique on the Chapel of the Würzburg Residence (Germany), one of the most important churches of the Central European Baroque has been presented. The experimental modal parameters have been estimated from the operational modal analysis of the signals measured at different points of the structure during an ambient vibration test. The correlation between the numerical and experimental modal parameters after the updating process is adequate.