Seismic Performance Based Assessment of the Arsenal de Milly of the Medieval City of Rhodes

The chapter focuses on the seismic performance based assessment (PBA) of the Arsenal de Milly, a 15th century masonry monument located in the Medieval City of Rhodes, in Greece. Although the structure is quite simple from a geometrical point of view, its seismic response is interesting due to the interaction effects with the massive adjacent defensive wall. In particular, the procedure proposed in the PERPETUATE project for the seismic protection of cultural heritage assets has been followed, by integrating the use of different modelling strategies to achieve a more reliable assessment and by exploiting also the use of ambient vibration tests for their calibration. The following modelling strategies have been adopted: (i) the finite element approach through a 3D model using brick finite elements (developed using the OpenSees code); (ii) the structural element modelling approach through a 3D model based on the equivalent frame approach (developed using the Tremuri software); (iii) the macro-block modelling based on the limit analysis according to the kinematic approach (developed using the MB-PERPETUATE software). The calibration of such models was supported by the results of ambient vibration tests, very useful in such case in order to highlight torsional modes related to the interaction effects with the massive adjacent defensive wall. Finally, some preliminary analyses on the soil—foundation—structure interaction effects have been included, too.