Non-destructive testing techniques applied to the masonry and timber structures of the Crocifisso Church in Noto

Abstract

After the partial collapse of the Cathedral of Noto in Sicily, damaged by the 1990 earthquake, which hit the oriental part of the Italian island, an extensive investigation carried out on site and in the laboratory allowed the detection of a pre-existing damage of the pillars due to long term behaviour of the material under compressive stresses. The investigation extended to other churches and buildings showed cases of progressive damage, which can in an unknown time, bring the structures to sudden collapse. This paper presents and discusses the preliminary results of the research carried out by the authors on the Crocifisso Church in Noto, built in the same period and with material similar to that of the Cathedral. The investigation programme was planned, aimed at evaluating the state of damage of the structure and at designing the preservation and restoration actions.

Modeling the Static Behaviour of a Double Curvature Brickwork Vault

“…Structural Analysis of Historic Constructions qualitatively understand the stress distribution and possible mechanisms of collapse (Binda et al, 2007). In Fig.…”