Engineering Investigation, Analyses and Retrofit Procedures for Earthquake Damaged Heritage URM Churches in Bohol Island, Philippines

This paper is based on the Structural Engineering studies conducted as part of the engagement with theNational Museum of the Philippinesas well as independent studies made by the authors. The studies were focused on heavily damaged Heritage URM churches in the Island of Bohol. The causative mechanisms were analyzed together with the contributory factors and include considerations that structure Geometry and layout played in the damage sustained and includes an understanding of the Period Construction Methods used. The studies were checked against Finite Element Analyses FEM models of the structures and their responses to Earthquake lateral loads. The FEM runs validated the observed results in the field. The results of this study enabled us to formulate Engineering intervention and remediation strategies and recommendations that addressed the cause/s rather that the outright reconstruction without regard to what have caused the distress.