Structural Monitoring and Life-time Assessment of Medieval Towers

The problem of structural stability of two medieval masonry towers is addressed. The geometrical and structural aspects of the towers were analysed and non-destructive tests were performed to assess the evolution of damage phenomena. The damage processes underway in some portions of the masonry were monitored using the Acoustic Emission (AE) technique. This method makes it possible to estimate the amount of energy released during the fracture process and to obtain information on the criticality of ongoing processes. Finally, an ad hoc theory based on fractal concepts for assessing the stability of masonry structures from the data obtained with the AE technique is proposed.