The seismic design of new retaining structures is usually performed following modern norms. Nonetheless, there are various monumental (e.g., fortifications) with high vulnerability, which must be protected against earthquakes, while exist several limitations on the type mitigation measures that can applied to such cultural heritage structures. present study investigates numerically response and...

Final aim of SIINDA research project is the development of an integrated system, composed by interagents hardware and software components, oriented to support the expert in the analysis and diagnosis of the conservation state of a monument. The complex phenomenon of degradation is studied considering the monument-environment system which is investigated by a “knowledge through images” approach....

A mechanical device especially designed for the application of low-level posttensioning forces to glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars was developed at the University of Missouri-Rolla. Some of the advantageous features of this device are that it is simple to assemble and the low-level post-tensioning forces can be applied manually and safely without the need for hydraulic jacks or heavy ...

Many ancient masonry towers are present in Italian territory. In some cases these structures are at risk on account of the intensity of the stresses they are subjected to due to the high level of regional seismicity. In order to preserve this inestimable cultural heritage, a sound safety assessment should take into account the evolution of damage phenomena. In this connection, acoustic emission...

One of the fields where 3D modelling has an important role is in the application of such 3D models to structural engineering purposes. The literature shows an intense activity on the conversion of 3D point cloud data to detailed structural models, which has special relevance in masonry structures where geometry plays a key role. In the work presented in this paper, color data (from Intensity at...

The paper reviews some recent numerical applications for the interpretation and exploitation of acoustic emission (AE) monitoring results obtained from historical masonry structures and materials. Among possible numerical techniques, the finite element method and the distinct method are considered. The analyzed numerical models cover the entire scale range, from microstructure and meso-structur...

This work reports the outcomes of an extensive experimental campaign on the retrofitting of masonry walls by means of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets, carried out at University of Applied Sciences (UAS) Fribourg. In the first stage, static-cyclic shear tests were conducted on the masonry walls, followed by a second stage of tensile tests on alternative configurations of mechanical...

In existing European recommendations the drift capacity of unreinforced masonry (URM) piers is estimated as a function of the failure mode, aspect ratio and/or axial load ratio. The empirical relationships are based on a set of results from quasi-static cyclic tests on single URM piers, which were tested simulating either double-fixed or cantilever boundary conditions. In modern URM structures,...

The paper reviews several topics associated with the homogenization of transport processed in historical masonry structures. Since these often experience an irregular or random pattern, we open the subject by summarizing essential steps in the formulation of a suitable computational model in the form of Statistically Equivalent Periodic Unit Cell (SEPUC). Accepting SEPUC as a reliable represent...