Learning from seismic culture in the vernacular architecture of Tulahuén, Chile
Natalia JORQUERA SILVA, Jaime ORTEGA PERALES, Tomás SEPÚLVEDA SCHWEMBER
Abstract. Chile is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, due to the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate, which causes earthquakes with magnitudes above 7.0 approximately every ten years. This high seismicity has always shaped the characteristics of vernacular architecture and traditional construction techniques, particularly adobe buildings, through a process of trial and error. Seismically vulnerable structures have disappeared, while those that have survived owe their resilience to the development of a seismic culture among the inhabitants and the creation of technical solutions that allow buildings to respond better to seismic events. This is the case of Tulahuén, a village located in the mountains of the Coquimbo region in northern Chile, where vernacular architecture, characterized by the use of adobe, incorporates various types of wooden reinforcements, built by the residents themselves, which have enabled these structures to withstand the intense local seismic activity. This article is the result of two research studies, in which, through direct observation and the collection of oral memories from local inhabitants, the seismic-resistant devices present in Tulahuén were characterized and their role in the resilience of this vernacular architecture was evaluated.
Keywords
Adobe Vernacular Architecture, Seismic Threat, Building Cultures, Vernacular Seismic Culture
Published online 1/10/2025, 8 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Natalia JORQUERA SILVA, Jaime ORTEGA PERALES, Tomás SEPÚLVEDA SCHWEMBER, Learning from seismic culture in the vernacular architecture of Tulahuén, Chile, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 47, pp 216-223, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903391-25
The article was published as article 25 of the book Vernacular Architecture
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] L. Dipasquale, O. Sidik, S. Mecca. Earthquake resistant structures. In: M. Correia, L. Dipasquale, S. Mecca, editors. VERSUS Heritage for tomorrow. Vernacular knowledge for sustainable architecture. Florence: Firenze University Press; 2015. p. 232-239.
[2]. P. Pierotti, D. Ulivieri. Culture sismiche locali. Pisa: Edizioni Plus; 2001.
[3] N. Jorquera. Culturas sísmicas: Estrategias vernaculares de sismorresistencia del patrimonio arquitectónico chileno. Arquitecturas del Sur. 2014;32(46):6-17, http://revistas.ubiobio.cl/index.php/AS/article/view/739
[4] M. Correia, G. Duarte, D. Viana, T. Gomes. Vernacular seismic culture in Portugal: On-going research. In: C. Mileto, editor. Vernacular Architecture: Towards a Sustainable Future. London: CRC Press; 2014. p. 217-224.
[5] R. Rauld. Cortical deformation and seismic hazard associated with the San Ramón fault in the mountainous front of Santiago, central Chile (33°S). Santiago, Chile: PhD thesis in Geological Science, University of Chile; 2011.
[6] J. Ortega. Dispositivos sismorresistentes de la arquitectura en tierra de Tulahuén, región de Coquimbo, Chile. In Congress proceedings 22ºSIACOT, La Serena, Chile, 2024.
[7] J. Fernández, C. Pastén, S. Ruiz, F. Leyton. Estudio de efectos de sitio en la Región de Coquimbo durante el terremoto de Illapel Mw 8.3 de 2015. Obras y Proyectos. 2017;21:20-28. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-28132017000100003
