Standards Development

Scope

This document provides the main factors and the integrated working framework that need to be considered by stakeholders involved in the seismic protection of museum collections. It specifies requirements such as seismic performance indicators, seismic response analysis, seismic risk assessment, safety design, seismic protection measures, seismic risk treatment and seismic effectiveness evaluation for cultural heritage artefacts.

This document is applicable to, but not limited to, the seismic protection of cultural heritage artefacts in exhibition and storage within buildings, as well as exhibition/storage cabinets, cases, and units. It is not applicable to the seismic protection of those buildings holding collections.

Purpose

Globally, most of cultural heritage sites and museums are located on the Mediterranean-Himalayan seismic belt and the Circum-Pacific seismic belt and so on, facing the risks caused by earthquakes. Artefact collections have suffered significant damage in high magnitude earthquakes, such as in Japan (2024), Croatia (2020), New Zealand (2011) and Greece (1999). Italy’s three major earthquakes in 2009, 2012, and 2016 caused extensive damage to artefact collections hosted in churches, while the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China resulted in damage to over 2,700 museum collections. Even in low magnitude earthquakes, such as the one in Llorca, Spain, 2011, the archaeological museum exhibits suffered severe damage. The loss or damage of artefact collections caused by earthquake represents an irretrievable loss of humanity’s shared history and identity. Therefore, the protection of these collections from seismic threats is not merely a country’s / regional concern, but it is also an urgent need on a global scale.

The earthquake action to the cultural heritage artefacts is significantly different from the ground motions exciting the structure of the hosting buildings and the floor motions exciting the exhibition/storage furniture/fixtures. Seismic protection for museum collections constitutes an interdisciplinary field involving archaeology, history of art, architecture, structural engineering, earthquake engineering, conservation sciences and the design of special devices for exhibition/storage facilities. It involves various independent stakeholders such as consultants for seismic damage analysis and risk assessment, producers of seismic mitigation devices and products, cultural heritage administrators, curators, collections conservators and technicians, as well as evaluators responsible for verifying the effectiveness of the mitigation measures and product quality. An integrated and comprehensive seismic protection strategy is needed which considers risk treatment of multiple factors including seismic sources, and the response to these of buildings, exhibition/storage cabinets/cases, and cultural heritage artefacts.

At present, relevant international standards (for example ISO/TC71, ISO/TC 98 and ISO/TC 59) and relevant technical standards of various countries/regions already have matured theoretical methods and technical regulations for seismic protection of buildings. Some Existing international seismic standards are also covering some aspects of the protection of general contents in building, such as sensitive equipment. However, they do not cater for the variety of artefacts in collections, from lightweight delicate to heavy relics; free standing, or in show cases, or mounted on museum walls. Globally, major earthquakes still have repeatedly resulted in scenarios where buildings remain intact while collections are damaged and seismic protection measures fail to prevent collections’ damage. Preventing catastrophic seismic damage and loss to museum collections has become a shared imperative for safeguarding world cultural heritage.

Since the 1990s, international research has been carried out on a series of shaking table tests and numerical simulation models regarding museum buildings, exhibition/storage cabinets/cases, and museum collections. The analysis theory of the seismic damage degree and the seismic performance indicators determination method have been established. A series of seismic protection measures and devices for exhibition/storage cabinets/cases and cultural heritage artefacts have been developed, and a complete set of integrated seismic protection technology for museum collections has been formed. It has been widely applied in the Getty Museum in the United States, the Tokyo National Museum in Japan, and many countries such as China and those in the European Union. For example, in China, it has been applied to the protection of about 18,000 museum collections in 21 museums, including the Terracotta Army, and its protective efficiency having been validated through multiple high magnitude earthquake events. The Italy Government approved a plan to promote seismic protection of museums in 2020.

On this basis, this new work item proposal of international standard provides the general principles and requirements for the seismic protection of museum collections that can be universally applied. It aims to establish a comprehensive framework for the seismic protection of museum collections, while it is intended for use by a wide range of stakeholders, including museum administrators, curators, engineers, conservators, and policymakers, to ensure a unified approach to safeguarding cultural heritage.

Developed through the interdisciplinary scientific and technological fields, such as seismic hazard, architecture, structural mechanics, and mechanical engineering for protective devices, this standard ensures scientific innovation and technical reliability. It provides an integrated working framework for the seismic protection of artefacts collections, which would eliminate the technical barriers between different stakeholder industries, and is conducive to small and medium - sized museums to adopt convenient and economical seismic protection measures in a standardized manner. Therefore, the standard is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9 (Industry, innovation) and SDG10 (reduced inequality). At the same time, the technology of this standard is an integrated innovation based on general scientific theories, specifying requirements such as seismic risk assessment, safety design, seismic protection measures, and effectiveness evaluation. Therefore, this standard has technical integration, interoperability, and universal applicability on an international scale, providing a basis and support for public procurement and achieving the international standard - setting goal of establishing the best working order.

Scientific technology cannot alter the reality of high-hazard seismicity that many world heritage sites are challenged with. Relevant international, regional, and national standards have been able to reduce the seismic risk of museum buildings and ensure the life safety inside. The compilation and application of this standard would go further to create a safe environment for artefacts collections, which can prevent them from being damaged by earthquakes. Therefore, this standard will fill the gap in the global technical standard system for seismic protection and disaster reduction of cultural heritage. It would provide technical support for the sustainable inheritance of human civilization and the development of cultural undertakings. The safe display of museum collections and their protection is a matter of public welfare, for current and future generations, as it allows people of different ages the fruition of high - quality learning and educational opportunities related to human civilization. The promotion of this standard therefore is aligned with SDG3 on well-being and 4 on Education. The promotion of cultural study in terms stimulate the formation of a more peaceful and inclusive social and cultural attitudes, therefore meeting the SDG 16 on peace. Various cultural and creative industries with cultural heritage as the core element are suitable for development in different regions and countries around the world. This will be beneficial to all stakeholders, especially small and medium - sized enterprises, to invest in the field of cultural relics seismic protection, promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, responding to SDG8 and SDG 9, as well as SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities. Generally, it would achieve the international standard - setting goal of promoting common benefits.