A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to the Seismic Assessment of the National Palace of Sintra

The presence of important built heritage in Lisbon and surroundings, a seismically-prone area, always requests measures to protect them. The National Palace of Sintra, a complex structure composed of different unreinforced masonry buildings, is one of the most ancient palaces in Portugal. In order to perform a complete and adequate seismic assessment of the Palace, a multi-disciplinary expertise collaboration has been developed. An historical approach and a visual structural in-situ survey were conducted, before proceeding to experimental tests: samples removal, flat-jack tests, ambient vibration tests and Ground Penetrating Radar survey. All these tests are important to the characterization of the Palace and to develop calibrated numerical models. A 3D architectural model of the monument has been created in BIM software obtained from a laser-scanning survey. Since the Palace is a complex structure composed of several mutually interacting structural units, the seismic performance is developed for the different building units, considering the effect of the adjacent ones, the field survey and the results of the experimental campaign. The study is coordinated by Instituto Superior Tecnico and promoted by Parques de Sintra - Monte da Lua, SA.