Seismic Vulnerability of Traditional Houses in Iran

Seismic performance of traditional houses of Iran is investigated in this paper. Structural classification of such buildings is carried out regarding their structural elements. Climate and seismicity of Iran is briefly discussed. Then vulnerability of adobe houses and their failure mechanisms in recent earthquakes of Bam (26 Dec 2003) and Dahoeieh-Zarand (22 Feb 2005) are examined.