Progressive collapse of historical building under blast load

The analysis of the structural failure of a historical/heritage gothic architecture church caused by a blast load is presented in this paper. A practical approach progressive collapse of masonry structure under blast load has been developed. All the process from the discharge of the explosive to the partially destruction of the structure is presented, including the propagation of the blast wave and its interaction with the walls of the structure. The mathematical model of the church is developed in a finite element software (SAP2000), and it is subjected to simulated high explosion loads, afterward the dynamic response of the structure is evaluated in terms of maximum deflection and stresses induced. The problem analyzed corresponds to an actual heritage building that has suffered an internal Blast during the famous siege of Famagusta (Cyprus) in 1571. The paper includes comparisons with photographs of the real damage produced by the explosive charge that validates all the simulation procedure.