Structural Analysis of Maimun Palace Against Earthquake

Timber is one of the most used natural building materials in the world, and it is one of material construction that existed long before science being discussed. Seismic performance of timber structure is quite satisfying, because of its capability to withstand earthquake forces, and timber has been used from traditional house to high rise building. A multi story construction of timber material that still stand strong until now is Maimun Palace, which is a cultural heritage in the city of Medan that must be preserved. So it is necessary to do an analysis to determine the concept of the structure of the Maimun Palace. As a royal palace, Maimun is such a large timber house with complex architecture, so that a comprehensive survey must be done. Surveys carried out include interview with palace guard and royal descendants. The Maimun Palace structure is also modelled into frames and 3D models. The result of Maimun Palace research is that this palace applied the concept of earthquake-resistant building structures which are also outlined in the Indonesian technical guidelines.