Application of Geophysical Prospecting Methods for Soil Structure Characterization of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Abstract

Hispaniola is in the edge of interaction between the North American and Caribbean plates. In this zone, the occurrence of earthquakes greater than 5.0, Mw is frequent, characterizing it as a seismically active zone. These earthquakes cause considerable material damage and can provoke loss of human lives. The Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Primate of the Americas, is in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo. It is the most important colonial building in Dominican Republic, was built between 1521-1541, and is a masonry building made with stone ashlars and covered with stone ribbed vault. However, it is essential to know about the possible seismic behavior that the ground could have in case of a relevant earthquake to try to avoid possible damage to this heritage. For this reason, the aim of this research is to apply geophysical prospecting methods for the seismic site characterization of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. For this study, the geophysical methods applied were: MASW (Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave), H/V Spectral Ratio and Georadar. The characterization of site conditions was determined with the values of the average shear wave velocity for the top 30 m of soil (Vs30) obtained with the MASW method. As a main result it was found that the site seismic class determined with the MASW method was type C- very dense soil and soft rock (360-760 m/s), according to the NEHRP classification. In addition, the Georadar tests allowed confirming that there are no unknown caverns in the basement of the Cathedral in the first 5 m, thus it is accepted as valid the seismic classification of the soil obtained by the MASW method.

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References

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