The Building Stones of Prato’s Cathedral and Bell Tower, Italy

Seismic Behavior of the San Pietro di Coppito Church Bell Tower in L’Aquila, Italy

Abstract: In the present paper, a non-linear numerical study on the 13 century masonry bell tower of the church of San Pietro di Coppito is described. The aim is to have an insight into the causes at the base of the partial collapse suffered by the structure during the L’Aquila earthquake in 2009. To this aim, two different numerical analyses have been performed namely non-linear static (pushov...

Estimating the durability of building stones against Salt crystallization: considering the physical properties and strength characteristics

Salt crystallization is one of the most important weathering agents and may limit the durability of building stones. Salt crystallization induces stresses inside the pores of stones. Consequently, stone durability is closely related to its physical properties and strength. The purpose of this study was to propose a statistical model for estimating stone durability against salt crystallization c...

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a Historical Bell Tower

Abstract—In this paper, a procedure for the evaluation of seismic behavior of slender masonry structures (towers, bell towers, chimneys, minarets, etc.) is presented. The presented procedure is based on a full three-dimensional modal analyses and frequency measurements. As well-known, masonry is a composite material formed by bricks, or stone blocks, and mortar arranged more or less regularly a...

Building Stones of Resilience of Vulnerable Older Persons

Introduction: Vulnerable older persons need sufficient resilience to deal with (age-related) adversities and safeguard their quality of life. In this study, we investigate which sources of strength vulnerable older persons use to deal adversities. Methods: This qualitative study is based on fifteen narratives of community-dwelling vulnerable older persons in Belgium, who were selected through ...

Building the Tower of Babel : Converting