Military-related blast events pose a significant threat to historical masonry structures and require rapid post-event assessment to support conservation decisions. This study presents the application of a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system for evaluating the dynamic response of the Church above the Economic Gate of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra during the missile attack of 15 June 2026. The monitoring system combines accelerometric and inclinometric sensors to record transient dynamic responses and possible residual structural displacements.
Accelerometric records identified a distinct short-duration impulse with a peak acceleration of 0.05089 g, while inclinometric measurements detected transient inclination changes reaching up to 35 times the background level, although no residual deformation was observed after the event. The estimated peak particle velocity remained below commonly accepted damage thresholds for historic buildings according to DIN 4150-3. Although the blast caused severe damage to the nearby Dormition Cathedral, approximately 200 m away, no evidence of hazardous deformation or loss of structural stability was detected in the monitored Gate Church.
The results demonstrate that integrated accelerometric and inclinometric SHM enables rapid post-blast assessment of heritage structures and provides objective information for emergency inspection, structural safety evaluation, and long-term conservation monitoring.
Barsocchi, P., Bartoli, G., Betti, M., Girardi, M., Mammolito, S., Pellegrini, D., & Zini, G. (2021). Wireless sensor networks for continuous structural health monitoring of historic masonry towers. International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 15(1), 22–44. http://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2020.1719229
Cabboi, A., Gentile, C., & Saisi, A. (2017). From continuous vibration monitoring to FEM-based damage assessment. Construction and Building Materials, 156, 252–265. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.08.160
Cherevko, I., Kril, T., Mostovyy, V., & Shcherbyna, S. (2025). Structural health monitoring of heritage buildings under military actions study. International Journal of Conservation Science, 16(4), 1755–1774. https://doi.org/10.36868/IJCS.2025.04.09
Degli Abbati, S., Sivori, D., Cattari, S., & Lagomarsino, S. (2024). Ambient vibrations-supported seismic assessment of the Saint Lawrence Cathedral’s bell tower in Genoa, Italy. Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring, 14, 121–142. http://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-023-00709-1
García-Macías, E., & Ubertini, F. (2020). Automated operational modal analysis and ambient noise deconvolution interferometry for the full structural identification of historic towers. Engineering Structures, 215, Article 110615. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.110615
Kril, T., Cherevko, I., & Shekhunova, S. (2024). A Ranking Analysis of Geological and Engineering Factors of Historical Monuments’ Stability Response: A Case Study of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine. Buildings, 14(10), 3152. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14103152
Rodríguez, R., Bascompta, M., Fernández, P., & Fernández, P.R. (2022). Representative-area approach to define blast-induced ground vibrations—damage prevention criterion abacus. Minerals, 12(6), 691. http://doi.org/10.3390/min12060691
Rosenhaim, V. L., & Koppe, J. C. (2017). Comparing the response of masonry built residences to blast-induced ground vibrations. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 31(5), 04017085. http://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0001046
Rossi, M., & Bournas, D. (2023). Structural health monitoring and management of cultural heritage structures. Applied Sciences, 13(11), 6450. http://doi.org/10.3390/app13116450
Sunara, M., Banović, I., Buzov, A., & Grgić, N. (2023). Modal and structural identification of historic bell tower in Čuntić, Croatia using ambient vibration testing. Applied Sciences, 13(20), 11494. http://doi.org/10.3390/app132011494
Vabishchevych, M.O., Dedov, O.P., & Savchuk, D.O. (2024). The current state of the problem of numerical investigation of metal structure refusal based on dynamic monitoring. Strength of Materials and Theory of Structures, 112, 52–57. https://doi.org/10.32347/2410-2547.2024.112.52-57
Vibrations in buildings – Part 3: Effects on structures. (2016). DIN 4150-3:2016-12. Deutsches Institut für Normung.