Seismic retrofitting of historic earthen buildings

During the 1990s, the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) carried out a major research and laboratory testing program – the Getty Seismic Adobe Project (GSAP) – to investigate the seismic performance and develop effective retrofit methods for historical adobe structures. In April 2006, the GCI’s Earthen Architecture Initiative (EAI) hosted an international colloquium, in order to assess the impact and efficacy of the GSAP. The participants concluded that the GSAP methodology was reliable and effective, but its reliance on high-tech materials and professional expertise was a deterrent to its wider implementation. In response to these conclusions, the EAI initiated, in 2010, the Seismic Retrofitting Project (SRP) with the objective of adapting the GSAP guidelines, so that they better matched the equipment, materials, and technical skills available in many countries with earthen buildings. Peru was selected as the project’s location, due to its current and historical knowledge and professional interest in the conservation of earthen sites.