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SAHC2014 – 9
th
International Conference on
Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions
F. Peña & M. Chávez (eds.)
Mexico City, Mexico, 14–17 October 2014
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF SYNAGOGUES FROM TIMISOARA,
ROMANIA
Mosoarca Marius
1
, Anastasiadis Anthimos
2
, Petrus Cristian
3
1
“Politehnica” University of Timisoara
2/A Traian Lalescu street, Timisoara, Romania
e-mail: marius.mosoarca@upt.ro
2
ASA Engineering Design Office
10 Taskou Papagiourgiou street, Thessaloniki, Greece
email: anastasiadisa@hol.gr
1
“Politehnica” University of Timisoara
2/A Traian Lalescu street, Timisoara, Romania
e-mail: cristian.petrus@student.upt.ro
Keywords: Synagogue, Earthquake, Degradations.
Abstract. The city of Timisoara is the most important city from the West part of Romania,
near the border with Hungary and Serbia. Timisoara is placed in the Banat seismic zone,
characterized by shallow earthquakes with peak ground accelerations of 0.20g, having a
seismic fault line located in the West part of town. As result of previous earthquakes, several
churches have recorded important structural damages, while the bearing systems of the syn-
agogues did not recorded major damages, only degradations due to infiltration of rainwater.
A structural analysis was performed on the Synagogue from Fabric (1889) and the Synago-
gue from the Citadel (1865). In order to determine the vulnerability of these buildings, several
studies were carried out which analyzed the spatial seismic behavior of their historic struc-
tural system. The article presents the way in which these extremely efficient buildings over-
take the seismic forces. Because the Banat seismic zone is prone to shallow earthquakes for
which the vertical components of the acceleration of the seismic waves reach high values, it
was studied the response of these buildings to the vertical action according to seismic design
provisions. A two step analysis was performed regarding the effect of interaction of elements
subjected to seismic action. From the analysis it was revealed that the dome and the masonry
vaults of the Synagogue from the Citadel develop failure mechanisms, while the steel and
wooden structure from the Synagogue from Fabric did not record damages. The proposed
consolidation solutions are minimal, consisting of connecting all the masonry tubes from the
corners of the structure of the synagogue by means of steel slabs at the level of the existing
wooden slab, without affecting their rigidity. The steel slabs consolidate the wooden slabs and
they will counteract the out-of-plane failure of the masonry walls. The consolidation methods
are strongly reversible, efficient and respect the principles of the Chart of Venice.
Mosoarca Marius, Anastasiadis Anthimos, Petrus Cristian
2
1 INTRODUCTION
Timisoara is the most important and largest city from the western part of Romania, in the
Banat region. It is situated at a distance of 150km from Belgrade and 280km from Budapest,
as it can be seen in Figure 1. Formerly part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, during the
XVIII
th
and XIX
th
century it played an important role as a military outpost. The Citadel was
heavily fortified by a Vauban style fortification and was reorganized during the XVIII
th
cen-
tury using a rational grid of city blocks and open spaces. The spiritual and social order of the
city was reflected by the geometric shape of the city, having three public squares: St. George,
Victoria and Unity, representing the “orders” of the society: religious, military and civilian.
The most representative buildings were of Christian cult (catholic and orthodox), while the
Jewish people were not allowed to construct religious buildings and were denied permanent
access to the city. Only after 1863 when the Jewish community was given full civic rights,
synagogues started to be erected. The built synagogues are presented in Figure 2: The syn-
agogue from the Citadel 1865, the synagogue from Fabric 1889, the synagogue from “Turkish
Prince” 1901 and the synagogue from Josefin square 1910.
a) b)
Figure 1: a) Location of Banat in Europe [1]; b) Positioning of Timisoara
a) b) c) d)
Figure 2: a) Synagogue from the Citadel; b) Synagogue from Fabric; c) Synagogue from “Turkish Prince”;
d) Synagogue from Josefin square [2]
2 CHARACTERISTICS OF BANAT REGION EARTHQUAKES
Timisoara is located in the Banat seismic zone which is characterized by shallow earth-
quakes of crustal type, having the peak ground acceleration ranging between a
g
= 0.10-0.25g,
according to the current seismic design code P100/2013, as it can be seen in Figure 3. The
seismic actions are of near filed type, characterized by a short period of vibration (0.2-0.3sec).
The first cycle is the most powerful, and characterizes a pulse action in which the vertical
components are about the same size as the horizontal ones [3]. Damages occur in rigid bear-
ing structures, such as massive synagogues, having periods of vibrations between 0.2 and 0.3
sec [4, 5, 6]. Table 1 presents data regarding the seismic activity from the Banat region, ex-
pressed in terms of intensity on MSK scale.
Structural Analysis of Synagogues from Timisoara, Romania
3
Figure 3: Peak ground acceleration zones for Banat region
Table 1: Zones with most important earthquakes measured on MSK scale.
Epicenter zone Maximum
recorded
intensity
Year
Sanicolaul Mare VII 1879
Barateaz VII 1900
Periam – Varias VII 1859
Jimbolia – Bulgarus VII 1941
Carpinis V 1889
Sanandrei – Hodoni V 1950
Recas V 1896; 1902
Timisoara (Mehala) VII 1879
Sanmihai – Sacalaz VI 1973
Sag – Parta VII 1959
Rudna – Ciacova V 1907
Leibling – Voiteg VII-VIII 1991
Banloc – Ofsenita VII-VIII 1915; 1991
Moldova Noua VIII 1879
The western part of Timisoara is crossed by a seismic fault, Figure 4. Accordingly, the
entire city is characterized as an epicentral area, generally described by near-field earthquakes.
It can be seen that the distance from the seismic fault to the synagogues from Timisoara varies
between 1 and 5km. Historic buildings with large spans in the proximity of the seismic source,
can be affected by the vertical components of the earthquake. This aspect could be amplified
by the coincidence of the periods of vibration of the terrain and buildings.
Mosoarca Marius, Anastasiadis Anthimos, Petrus Cristian
4
Figure 4: Positioning of the synagogues and the seismic fault line in Timisoara
3 SYNAGOGUE FROM FABRIC
3.1 History
A smaller synagogue which belonged to the Jewish community of the orthodox rite, which
later became of “statu quo ante” rite, was initially placed where the current building is. After
1879, the synagogue was transformed into a neologue rite edifice. Due to the increasing num-
ber of neologue Jews from Timisoara, a new larger synagogue was erected, between 1885 and
1889. The project was carried out following the plans of Hungarian architect Lipót Baumhorn,
which also conceived the synagogues from Brasov, Romania and Szeged, Hungary. The new
building was designed according to the tradition of the great neologue synagogues from Rije-
ka - Croatia, Szolnok - Hungary and Zrenjanin – Serbia, built according to the plans of the
same architect.
It was also known as “The New Synagogue” or “The Moorish Synagogue” due to its neo-
Moorish style with Arabic-Hispanic elements, as it can be seen in Figure 5.
Towards the end of the communist regime, the synagogue entered a decline period, being
closed in 1985 as most of the Jews left after World War 2 emigrated to Israel. During the 24
years in which it was closed, the synagogue suffered extensive degradations.
In 2009, the Jewish community from Timisoara yielded the synagogue to the National
Theatre in order to transform it into an auditorium. Due to its shape and good acoustics, the
synagogue could be transformed into a building of great cultural value.
a) b)
Figure 5: a) Synagogue from Fabric; b) Inside view
LEGEND
1. Synagogue from the Citadel
2. Synagogue from Fabric
3. Synagogue from “Turkish Prince”
4. Synagogue from Josefin Square
Structural Analysis of Synagogues from Timisoara, Romania
5
The synagogue from Fabric is one of the most distinctive buildings from Timisoara. It has
a square plan with a central steel dome connected to the exterior walls by deep semi-circular
arches. The façade is polychrome, alternating between plastering and apparent red brick. The
central dome is supported on four columns and an octagonal reel, having plastered wood
which is painted. Two separate entries provide access for the men through a vestibule, and for
women, directly from the street through a staircase which leads to the first level. An organ is
also present at the first level, being built by the famous artisan Leopold Wegenstein, as it can
be seen in Figure 5b. Neo-romantic and neo-gothic elements combined into an eclectic style,
give the synagogue its unique appearance [7]. The roof is dominated by five domes, the cen-
tral one having a stained glass.
3.2 Description of the structure
The building has a rectangular plan with a total of 34.30m length and 20.25m width, as it
can be seen in Figure 6a. The maximum height at the eave is +13.06m and at the ridge
+25.42m, as it can be seen in Figure 6b. Continuous foundations made of brick masonry are
present under the walls, having the width of 0.75m, and isolated foundations under the col-
umns having 1.52x1.52m dimension of the last step of the foundation.
Bearing brick masonry walls of 0.75m thickness are located at the outer perimeter of the
building, and 0.40m thickness walls are used for the interior walls. There are four staircases
made of brick masonry, located at the corners of the building.
A system of steel profiles combined with wooden beams is used for the floors over the
ground level and for the lateral interior balconies. At the back of the hall, above the stage and
the organ, there are vault shaped slabs. A reinforced concrete slab is casted above the interior
balconies, which has a small cantilever of 0.80m.
The roof framing is composed of wooden rafters, struts and stays. The main dome of the
synagogue is supported on four cast iron columns, connected with steel beams at the level of
the floor over the first floor and at the level over the ground floor. Steel profiles covered with
a thin steel sheet are used for the dome of the synagogue.
a) b)
Figure 6: a) Ground level plan; b) Vertical section
Mosoarca Marius, Anastasiadis Anthimos, Petrus Cristian
6
3.3 Degradations
Due to poor maintenance, rainwater infiltrated through the roof and led to damages at the
ceilings and wall plastering, degradations at the wooden floors, collapse of the ceiling above
the balcony and failure of wooden beams and parapets, Figure 7a,b. Biological factors also
contributed to the degradation of the wooden beams of the building.
Cracks due to settlements are visible in the walls, Figure 7c, at the levels of the window
openings, and in the zone with the organ from the first level. The stair from the right superior
part presents a transversal crack. No degradations due to seismic forces were recorded.
a) b) c)
Figure 7: a) Collapse of wooden parapet; b) Collapse of ceiling; c) Cracks in masonry walls
3.4 Consolidation measures
Among previous consolidation interventions there were observed steel profiles disposed at
the level of the roof framing, tying the central columns to the perimeter walls of the structure.
According to the provisions of the Chart of Venice, which respect the reversibility prin-
ciple of the intervention, a set of consolidation measures was proposed.
The proposed consolidation measures considered the functionality of the entire building as
well as the assurance of a good seismic behavior of the structure. At the foundation level a
perimeter reinforced concrete beam anchored to the existing foundation should be placed, and
further a reinforced concrete slab over the ground level should be casted. The rigid diaphragm
effect would be achieved by placing steel braced beams which connect the four towers of the
building, Figure 8, as well as providing perimeter transversal and longitudinal steel ties at the
level of the first floor. A longitudinal steel beam should be placed over the ground level,
which should support the interior balconies and the parapets. Consolidation works with steel
profiles should be carried out for the steel central dome and the columns supporting it, Figure
9a, as well as for the other smaller domes. The perimeter masonry attics are to be consolidated
and the masonry joints from the towers are to be cleaned and restored with epoxy resins. The
wooden vaults are to be consolidated by new wooden arches.
Figure 8: Proposed consolidation solution for steel-wood floor above ground level
Structural Analysis of Synagogues from Timisoara, Romania
7
Constructing an independent steel structure in the middle of the hall room would permit the
elevation of the scene to the level of the first floor, such that beneath the stage should be pro-
vided lockers, wardrobes and other necessary spaces. This independent steel structure
represents a spatial solution of consolidation, as it can be seen in Figure 9b; it should be fixed
to the masonry walls of the structure. A steel slab should be constructed above the ground
floor which should ensure a good interaction between the masonry towers. Fireproofing and
biological treatment of the wooden elements should be carried out.
a) b)
Figure 9: a) Consolidation of steel dome; b) Spatial solution of consolidation
4 SYNAGOGUE FROM THE CITADEL
4.1 History
Since the Jewish community was granted full civic rights in 1863, the construction of the
synagogue from the Citadel was started, on the grounds of the Franciscan monastery garden.
Also known as the Great Synagogue, it was built between 1863 and 1864, under the direction
of architect Carol Schumann. Officially inaugurated in 1864, another ceremony was held in
1872 when Emperor Franz Joseph I came to visit. The synagogue was functional until 1985,
after which it was closed. From 2001 the Philharmonic Society organized musical events and
attempted to restore the monument with the help of the World Monuments Fund [8].
The towers on the front façade are covered by onion shaped domes and flank a Moorish
horseshoe arch supported by Corinthian columns. An eight star rose window with stained
glass is provided in the main façade, as it can be seen in Figure 10a. Moorish deep-blue orna-
ments are present inside the building crowned by a massive masonry dome. The entrance aisle
is regarded as an interior façade with three arches. Hand crafted seats are provided on the two
stepped platforms of the lateral balconies, as it can be seen in Figure 10b, supported by wood
and cast iron elements. A massive oculus is found beneath the supporting arches of the roof.
a) b)
Figure 10: a) Main façade and the two towers; b) Lateral balconies
Mosoarca Marius, Anastasiadis Anthimos, Petrus Cristian
8
4.2 Description of the structure
The synagogue has a square plan, having a total of 25.60m width and 26.00m length, Fig-
ure 11a. The staircases present in each of the four massive masonry towers at corners provide
access to the balconies on three levels. The brick foundations and walls have a thickness of
1.00m up to 1.30m.
The maximum height at the eaves of the synagogue is +17.65m, while the ridge is situated
at a height of +21.15m. The loads from the masonry dome are overtaken by brick vaults
which cover the perimeter aisles, having a total height of +14.45m. The brick dome adds
another 4.30m, reaching +18.75m, where a skylight is provided in the center of the dome.
Steel ties connect the perimeter tympanums of the synagogue to the main roofing frame-
work. The composition of materials in the bearing roof framing system is shown in Figure 12.
In the dome area, the roof structure consists of inclined V shaped columns, transmitting the
loads to the perimeter walls, avoiding introducing extra loading in the masonry dome.
a)
b)
Figure 11: a) Ground floor plan; b) Vertical section
a) b) c)
Figure 12: a) Volumetric rendering of the synagogue; b) Structural anatomy; c) Arrangement of load bearing
masonry walls
4.3 Degradations
Local degradations developed as a result of the infiltrated rainwater, between 1980 and
2000. Like all historical buildings located in Timisoara, the synagogue can have structural
damages due to the foundation soil and Banat region earthquakes, which could occur during
its 150 years of existence. In 1980 a problem of differential settlement was solved by injecting
concrete in the foundation soil.
Structural Analysis of Synagogues from Timisoara, Romania
9
The one and only consolidation measure made, as a result of the numerous earthquakes in
time, consisted of a RC corset casted over the surface of the central dome in 1985, as it can be
seen in Figure 13a,b. This intervention does not respect the principle of reversibility, but it
should be noted that no structural damages were recorded in the load bearing walls and no
collapse of elements occurred.
a) b)
Figure 13: a,b) Irreversible consolidation of masonry dome
4.4 Seismic analysis
A modal analysis of the masonry vaults subjected to vertical loads was performed accord-
ing to the Romanian seismic design code P100 [9], Eurocode 8 and according to Elnashai [10],
which proposes a more severe response spectrum, Figure 14a. In the response spectrum from
Figure 14a there is plotted the spectral amplification coefficient β versus the period of vibra-
tion of the ground T, considering a 5% damping. In order to determine the weak points of the
masonry structure of the synagogue, a 3D analysis was performed with the help of SAP2000
software, using solid and shell type FEM elements. The meshing of the structure can be seen
in Figure 14b,c. The walls are modeled by introducing door and window openings and the
vaults are not connected to the vertical masonry walls. A two step procedure was adopted.
a) b) c)
Figure 14: a) Response spectra used in calculus; b) Mesh of the structure; c) 3D rendering
In the first step the principal and secondary masonry vaults were considered tied together,
in order to study the effects of the outer walls. Except for the first vibration mode, all the oth-
er vibration modes presented inappropriate deformations, resulting in the necessity to intro-
duce some connections between the vaults and the masonry walls, without affecting the
painting on the masonry vault. Figure 15 presents the principal modes of vibration of the
synagogue, subjected to the vertical components of the seismic action.
The influence of the vertical component of the seismic action can be easily observed at the
level of the vaults, which are not connected to the exterior masonry walls.
Mosoarca Marius, Anastasiadis Anthimos, Petrus Cristian
10
a) b) c)
Figure 15: Modes of vibration of the synagogue to vertical components a) First; b) Second; c) Sixth
In the second step, the effect of the untied principal and secondary masonry vaults between
the two entrance towers was studied. In Figure 16 it can be seen that a 3cm gap was consi-
dered between the two vaults. Figure 17 shows the principal 6 modes of vibration of the
vaults and it can be clearly seen that from the third vibration mode the deformed shapes are
totally different for the principal and secondary vaults. The main vault has the one side sup-
ported by a tympanum and the other part supported by an arch, while the secondary vault has
the one free side and the other one supported by an arch. The performed analysis shows the
necessity for the two vaults to work together as one.
a) b)
Figure 16: a) Gap between vaults in modeling; b) Gap between vaults
a) b) c)
d) e) f)
Figure 17: a-f) Principal modes of vibration of the untied masonry vaults
The vaults were divided into 16 parts, resulting in 17 nodes, as illustrated in Figure 18. For
each of the resulted nodes, the normal stress efforts were calculated in order to determine
Structural Analysis of Synagogues from Timisoara, Romania
11
whether tension stresses occur in the masonry vaults. The results from the structural analysis
are presented in Figure 19.
Figure 18: Discretization of vaults
a) b)
c)
Figure 18: Normal stress in vaults according to: a) Romanian seismic code P100; b) Eurocode 8; c) Elnashai
From the previous graphs, it can be clearly seen that in the central part of the vaults, due to the
vertical components of the seismic action, tension forces appear, leading to the formation of
failure mechanisms in masonry vaults and arches.
5 CONCLUSIONS
• Damages recorded in historic bearing structures of the synagogues from Timisoara, are
generally due to bad maintenance as a result of the migration of the Jewish population
from Romania, during the communist regime.
• Placed in seismic zones, the synagogues did not develop global collapse mechanisms, de-
spite being subjected to horizontal/vertical components of the seismic force. Studies re-
vealed the high vulnerability of the domes, brick vaults and arches with regard to the
vertical earthquake components. Moreover separated vaults should be connected at the
level of the median arches to the lateral masonry walls forming a high redundant and spa-
tial structural system.
Mosoarca Marius, Anastasiadis Anthimos, Petrus Cristian
12
• For the synagogue from the Citadel, it can be seen that the conformation of the building
is correct, with exception of the lateral vaults. A very important remark is that the con-
struction system with independent vaults is very sensitive to vertical seismic components.
• From the performed analysis, the necessity of consolidation of the cylindrical vaults is
evident. In the epicenter zone the vertical components could be 2-3 times bigger than the
horizontal ones, generally not considered in modern design.
• The proposed consolidation measures increase the bearing capacity of the buildings by
assuring a good spatial interaction between all bearing elements, preserving the materials
and respecting the reversibility principles stated in the Chart of Venice.
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