Showing posts with label Dr. Avi Shapira. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. Avi Shapira. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Earthquake! How to Preserve Israel's Treasures - CBN News

Earthquake! How to Preserve 

Israel's Treasures

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Earthquakes can devastate an entire city or region in many ways. Depending on strength and location, it can kill hundreds and destroy natural and cultural landmarks.
The walled city of Jerusalem is instantly recognizable and one symbol stands above the rest: the Tower of David.
"The Tower of David is the symbol, it's the gateway actually to the Old City and also to the new," Tower of David Museum Director Eilat Leiber said.
Leiber gave CBN News a rare look at the panoramic view of Jerusalem from the tower. Its history and value are unquestioned and many wonder whether it and other Jerusalem relics could withstand a major earthquake.
Nature forced Italy to answer that question twice in 2009 and 2012. Major earthquakes killed hundreds and destroyed numerous buildings, including historical sites.
"Our job is to help people, of course, and to prop up and insure buildings damaged by earthquakes," Luca Ponticelli, with the Italian Department of Public Rescue and Civil Defense, said.
Recently, Ponticelli shared his earthquake experience and what he learned at a seminar in Jerusalem.
"I was one of the experts that implemented our technical procedures to shore or prop up the buildings," he told CBN News. "My mission here is to explain our job." 
It's all part of an international project to protect historical sites from earthquakes.
The Tower of David is the first heritage site to be chosen in Israel for this international project. It's been installed from top to bottom with a special system that monitors cracks in the tower and the region's seismic activity.
The last major earthquake to hit Jerusalem was in 1927. With Israel straddling the Jordan Rift Valley, experts predict it's time for another.
Dr. Avi Shapira heads the effort to prepare Israel for such a disaster.
"We had earthquakes. We will have earthquakes," Shapira predicted.
"What we are urging our engineering community and all the national authorities, communities who are interested in this, is really to check the satiation of these structures to withstand earthquake and to do something if possible. And it is possible," he said.
"This seminar is actually presenting what it is possible to do," he explained
The goal for Shapira and others is to preserve Jerusalem treasures, like the Tower of David.
"Everybody's talking about the big earthquake coming and we must be part of the academic research," Lieber said.
Shapira agreed.
"You know we live in the Holy Land -- not only the Holy Land but the Promised Land, and we also have to promise our children and grandchildren that something will remain for them to see," Shapira said.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Israel Implements Protective Measures for Holy Sites Against Earthquakes

Israel Implements Protective Measures for Holy Sites Against Earthquakes

“Your neck is as beautiful as the tower of David, jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes.” (Song of Songs 4:4)
Tower of David in the Old City of Jerusalem. (Photo: Edo M./ Wiki Commons)
Tower of David in the Old City of Jerusalem. (Photo: Edo M./ Wiki Commons)
As the tallest structure in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Tower of David is a famous and familiar symbol to residents and tourists who pass through Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate. The ancient citadel compound contains at least 2,000 years’ worth of history dating back to the First Temple period.
But the symbolic structure, among other historical structures across Israel, have some worried. There are six major cracks in the tower which raises questions if the structure would be able to survive an earthquake. Israel is located in a region extremely prone to earthquakes and a major quake could be devastating.
“A major earthquake poses a serious threat and needs to be treated as such,” Dr. Avi Shapira told Tazpit News Agency. As Chairman of Israel’s National Earthquake Preparedness Committee, Shapira explained that a large earthquake will affect every aspect of life as most Israelis live near active zones. “Israel is a small country – the consequences of a large earthquake will be far reaching.”
Therefore, Shapira believes that Israel has a duty to protect its national heritage sites. “We want to preserve the structures of our past and historical monuments of the Holy Land that are significant to the world.”
Earthquakes occur when a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust creates seismic waves, which then travel through the Earth’s layers.
In order to implement proper methods of protection and preparedness for earthquake threats, research and engineering is needed in order to upgrade ancient buildings according to Shapira.
Israel experienced five moderate earthquakes in October, which prompted experts to install a seismic monitoring system at the Tower of David in November 2013.
TourIsrael-Resolution-600WIDE
The Tower of David is the first heritage site that has been included in an international project that is monitoring fluctuations on a heritage site through a special monitoring system run by the University of Padova in Italy. This is the first attempt to use technology to determine the structural weaknesses in an ancient edifice in Israel.
Israel has been consulting with Italian researchers, who are leading experts in the field of earthquake evaluation and monitoring, in order to learn of new ways to minimize damage to cultural heritage sites through available technologies.
In a special conference at the Tower of David this week (January 19-20), called Seismic Risk Preparedness and Mitigation of Archaeological and Historical Sites, Italian experts were present to share their knowledge during unique sessions addressing earthquake monitoring.
Claudio Modena, a Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Padova, Italy. (Photo: Tazpit News Agency)
Claudio Modena, a Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Padova, Italy. (Photo: Tazpit News Agency)
Italy, located in a region with considerable seismic activity, has suffered from many major earthquakes in the past fifty years notes Claudio Modena, a Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Padova. Professor Modena, who has visited Israel on many occasions, lead a session about strengthening existing cultural sites, this past Sunday, January 19.
“Italy is a world leader in the earthquake monitoring field and conducting research in methodology for effective dealing with earthquakes,” explains Professor Modena. “Israel is new to this area and we believe that sharing our knowledge will help maintain historical structures in the event of a major earthquake.”
Modena, who lives in Verona, Italy, has also investigated historical and archaeological sites in Akko, Tzfat, and Beit Shean.
Other experts at the Tower of David conference included representatives from the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage as well as the Ministry of Civil Protection in Italy, and the Firefighters Agency in Emergency Response.
Italian expert Luka Ponticelli (Photo: Tazpit News Agency)
Italian expert Luka Ponticelli (Photo: Tazpit News Agency)
Luka Ponticelli, an Italian fire officer, of the Central Direction for Prevention and Technical Safety in Rome told Tazpit that Italian fire services are trained to deal with the aftereffects of earthquake on historical sites and heritage monuments. “We are the only firemen in the world that are trained in restoring buildings and reducing damages following earthquakes.”
Following the conference at the Tower of David, Israel will continue to promote cooperation with academic institutions and earthquake experts in Italy.
“The Italian experience in dealing with earthquakes is of great help to those of us dealing with this threat in Israel,” said Professor Shapira.