Seismic screening and structural investigation of heritage buildings for adaptive reuse: A survey study at Iloilo City, Philippines

Abstract

Building adaptive reuse has been a popular strategy for cultural heritage conservation of structures for it serves two basic objectives of preserving heritage structures and promoting cultural heritage and tourism. Adaptive reuse is the adaptation of an old structure to allow the introduction of a modern function into the old structure. Old buildings are not demolished but recycled into modern uses. This strategy, however, needs a careful and thorough assessment of these existing heritage buildings to assure their resilience and sustainability to future hazards. Heritage buildings for adaptive reuse due to age and structural deterioration are highly vulnerable to hazards like earthquakes. Moreover, these buildings when used for commercial purposes may be subjected to additional loads due to changes in function. Considering the age of the structure, conformity to new design codes, additional loads imposed by unit modification, and the new function brought about by adaptive reuse of these structures, there is a need to assess these buildings to assure their safety and continuous use. Promoting adaptive reuse of heritage buildings and tourism is most appropriate in heritage zones like Calle Real in Iloilo City, the site for the case study. This paper presents a rapid seismic screening of buildings to prioritize a population of heritage buildings in a heritage zone for further detailed inspection. A site survey of the buildings was conducted at the heritage zone of Calle Real, Iloilo City in terms of their current use, and current condition to determine potential structural, maintenance, and functional issues related to resilience and to recommend future improvements in the implementation of adaptive reuse of heritage structures in cities and towns to assure their sustainability.