Nonlinear Seismic Assessment of the Historical Latife Hanım Kindergarten

Historical structures are tangible documents that shed light on a nation's past, culture, and identity. These buildings, which bear the traces of various civilizations over centuries, contribute not only through their architectural features but also through the traditions and lifestyles they embody, playing a significant role in the socio-economic and cultural development of the regions in which they are located. Therefore, the preservation of historical structures and their transmission to future generations is a fundamental responsibility. In this study, the geometry of an existing historical masonry structure was modeled using the finite element method in the ANSYS software; material properties were defined, and appropriate boundary conditions were assigned. Dynamic analyses were conducted by applying acceleration records obtained from past earthquakes to the numerical model. The displacement, base shear force, compressive and tensile stress data obtained from the analyses were compared with the observed post-earthquake behavior of the structure. The results indicated that the numerical model produced outputs consistent with the actual behavior observed after the earthquake. These findings demonstrate that nonlinear finite element modeling can effectively identify vulnerable regions in historical masonry structures and provide valuable guidance for conservation, rehabilitation, and seismic strengthening studies.