Damage surveys following to the Central Italy 2016 seismic swarm have shown that retrofitting or strengthening interventions on masonry buildings may result in unexpected seismic behaviour, which may be defined as hybrid. In fact, the insertion within the masonry of single parts aimed at activating the box-like behaviour can worsen the overall response like a vulnerability added to a building’s intrinsic

An IML-Resi PD-400 drilling tool with two types of spade drill bits (IML System GmbH, Wiesloch, Germany) was used to study the influence of the drilling direction in relation to wood grain orientation on drilling resistance (DR) and feeding resistance (FR) measurements. The drilling tests were performed on Scots pine, European beech, English oak and Silver poplar conditioned in a standard climate.

The presence of stucco marble in the Portuguese architecture is not surveyed and studies addressing the materials used to produce it are almost inexistent. In this paper, the results of the multi-analytical characterisation using XRD, SEM-EDS, Py-GC/MS and the determination of capillary water absorption and dynamic modulus of elasticity of 15 samples belonging to seven case studies are presented and

On August 21st 2017 an earthquake of magnitude Mw = 3.9 occurred in the Ischia Island (Italy), causing numerous damages to ordinary and monumental buildings and two casualties. Immediately after the earthquake, teams from the Universities of Napoli Federico II and ‘Parthenope’, carried out inspections on the churches of the island in two phases: the first was developed in the post-emergency and was

(2020). Risk and Resilience in Practice: Cultural Heritage Buildings. International Journal of Architectural Heritage. Ahead of Print.

This paper explores the adaptive design of historic villages and dwellings in response to the typhoon climate of the Leizhou Peninsula. A field investigation involving 917 historic villages was conducted. The physical features of the villages were superimposed with the visualized spatial trajectories of the cyclones. Case studies were also adopted to reveal their windproofing mechanisms. The results

In Pinhal Novo, Palmela, and neighboring municipalities, southern Lisbon region, there are a great number of small adobe masonry dwellings, made in the first half of the twentieth century. The vernacular dwellings were constructed by families that came from the north/center region of Portugal to work at the local manors and were called Caramel´s. Adobe samples from three of these dwellings were collected

Earthen heritage represents an important legacy regarding construction history and technological development, with a significant cultural value that must be preserved. According to UNESCO, around 10% of the World Heritage is built using earth, and 57% of these heritage structures are in danger. Although the interest regarding earthen heritage has grown in the last few years, there is still a significant

Drastic reductions in energy consumption within existing buildings are required to achieve climate change mitigation targets. However, a portion of existing buildings have important historic values that need to be conserved. The goal of this paper is to present a methodology and decision-framework for deep energy retrofit analyses that balances trade-offs between conservation and sustainability. This

ABSTRACT The number of historically-significant concrete structures which require conservation and repair is ever-increasing. The use of unsuitable proprietary materials has led to poor quality repairs of historically-significant structures in the United Kingdom, some of which have resulted in damage to the historic character of the structure and accelerated deterioration of the substrate. As a result

The shear properties of unreinforced masonry are key parameters used in order to understand the behaviour of these structures under horizontal actions. These characteristics are usually determined using Destructive Testing (DT) methods. However, this typology of tests is not always suitable due to both their high impact and cost. The present work aims to design, analyze and apply an innovative Minor

This work studies the morphological characteristics of four different laboratories synthesized nanolime dispersions, focusing on the characteristics of the polar dispersion medium and the increase of the water content in the final dispersion. An innovation of this research is the incorporation of distilled water that is enriched with O2 nanobubbles (NBs) as an alternative aqueous dispersion medium

The paper discusses the chemical-physical-petrographic features and decay processes of San Nicola Church (11th−14th century) building materials, one of the most representative Medieval Churches in Sardinia, stylistically attributable to the Romanesque architecture. The monument was built up into two stages and shows a characteristic size uniformity of the ashlars. The masonry is mainly made up of rhyodacitic

The interest in automatic modal parameter extraction techniques has increased significantly in recent years because of the rising demand for Continuous Structural Health Monitoring (CSHM) of civil structures and infrastructures. The wider use of CSHM is related to its capability for early damage detection and therefore to its usefulness for planning maintenance and strengthening interventions. This

The village of Dereuzunyer located in the Rahmanlar Valley of the Küçük Menderes Basin is a settlement that is a natural extension of a topography shaped by a joint contribution of culture and nature. It has preserved the authenticity and integrity of its traditional rural fabric and gives detailed information about the architectural approach, building technology, construction techniques, landscape

Nowadays, Sonic Pulse Velocity tests (SPV tests) are widely applied for detecting the morphology, hidden defects, and voids within structural elements. This technique, largely applied because non invasive and easy to perform, reveals particularly adapt in the case of ancient buildings, where usually any damage is not tolerated due to the historical preservation requirements. Moreover, recently the

The spatial evolution of traditional rural settlements is a natural process that occurs without professional development planning. With rural spatial organization now being stimulated by China’s economic structure adjustment, making top-down plans match bottom-up spatial principles is important for the continuity of rural communities. In this research, a Cellular automaton based model was introduced

This article intends to document a previously unsighted sample of yazdi-bandi over an outlying structure in the old Bazaar fabric of Tehran, namely a plaza known as Timché-ye Sadre-A’zam. Recent renovations of the plaza have concealed the work under an austerely flat drop ceiling in gypsum. The old yazdi ceiling was only accidentally discovered by the authors following the trail of hearsay and local

The seismic vulnerability assessment of historical UnReinforced Masonry (URM) buildings is a very complex task since it is strongly related to a great variety both of geometrical layouts and of masonry mechanical characteristics. In this article, some results of a Catania University research project, denomined “FIR 2014”, focused on the seismic vulnerability estimation of historical buildings, built

The structural analysis of a mirror-type vault, consisting of a single- or double-curvature perimeter and a nearly flat part, is carried out. The vault is similar to a number of hybrid iron (or steel) and masonry vaults built between the late 19th century and the early 20th century to span large halls. The numerical analyses were preceded by an accurate geometrical survey and mechanical tests aimed

In order to study the influence of looseness on seismic performance of through-tenon joints, six through-tenon joints specimens in 1:3.2 scale, including one tight-fitted joint and five loose joints, were fabricated according to the Engineering Fabrication Methods of Qing dynasty. The failure modes, mechanical behaviors such as the hysteresis and envelope curves, strength and stiffness degradations

Control and inspection of the conditions of elastomeric bearings used for seismic isolation purpose is a fundamental activity in ensuring and preserving the performance of a structure. The methods currently used, such as visual inspections, Operational Modal Analysis (OMA), release tests, very often present strong limitations due to their qualitative nature or else to the costs associated with their

In this study, it is aimed to consider whether the strain energy could evaluate the mechanical durability of wood. To investigate the aging effects on the mechanical properties of bulk wood and cellulose microfibrils in the cell walls of wood, XRD measurements were taken under tensile loading. Specimens were recent wood and wood used for 250 years (aged wood). Thermal modifications were further applied

A multidisciplinary historic landscape, buildings and materials study is presented, which situates the construction of Castle Roy within the wider physical and cultural environment of medieval Grampian Scotland. The paper highlights that the castle has been constructed close to an ecotone between distinctive upland and mountain biomes, before considering previous evidence relating to the building and

This paper seeks to understand the relationship between risk and cultural heritage as a strategy to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities of populations and their cultural heritage. It focuses on the built heritage of Lisbon Downtown in its different dimensions, tangible and intangible, and argues for the concept of place identity as a way of fully understanding the cultural heritage of the city.

This paper presents the results of cement-based mortars characterizations that were taken from rendered layers of military bunkers in the Rupnik Line. The Rupnik Line was conceived as a part of the fortified defence system protecting the Rapallo Border between the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, established in 1920. The bunkers were built between 1938 and 1941, and the renders of various

The paper investigates the effectiveness of two-dimensional Discrete Element Method as a tool for structural analysis of arches provided with buttresses and backfill and strengthened with externally bonded reinforcement. Masonry vault and buttresses are modelled as an assembly of 2D rigid blocks interacting through non-linear contact joints, the backfill is discretized into deformable elastic-plastic

Brightly colored stains on the white marble at the Tea pavilion and marble statues in Renaissance style trigger a scientific investigation to determine their origin. Staining and alteration of white marble in El Montazah site have been studied by using different microscopic techniques, polarizing microscope (PLM), reflected light microscope, light microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM).

There are many available studies on the reinforcement of columns by confinement with composite materials. However, in the particular case of stone elements, there is a lack of information regarding the performance of this solution under adverse conditions, which may occur during the life service of the structure. In this research, the confinement of calcarenite samples with a Fiber Reinforced Polymer

The durability of building materials is a fundamental issue addressed by many researchers who seek to improve working life by obtaining durable and more sustainable materials. In the Canary Islands, there are traditional buildings with carpentry elements that remain unchanged, without any apparent degradation. Specifically, the wood used in Canarian heritage comes from the resinous heartwood of Pinus

The consolidation of wall paintings is particularly challenging when high contents of water and hygroscopic salts have contaminated the masonry. Many wall paintings are in this situation, but only a few of them offer the possibility of easy access and long-term monitoring. The 14th century wall painting located on the east wall of the Chapter Hall of Chartres Cathedral (France) is one of these. The

From a decision-maker’s perspective, the management of cultural heritage is a challenging task because of different objectives pursued, the public/private nature of heritage constructions studied, the wide variety of associated values (artistic, historical, cultural, economic) and diverse interests of different stakeholders. Careful consideration of environmental, social and economic factors is crucial

The use of BIM in cultural heritage is still a very challenging task and one of the hardest topics is the choice of level of detail, i.e. the balance between the building characteristics and its representation in a 3D geometric model is not straightforward. Concerning the building cultural heritage very often the architectural identity is a combination of diverse constructive solutions and different

In this paper, the seismic behaviour and the strut retrofitting of the Mozaffarieh Timche in the historical covered Tabriz Bazaar is investigated. The Bazaar was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in August 2010. Historical buildings are particularly vulnerable to seismic events because they were designed solely for gravitational loads without any consideration of seismic parameters. The study

This paper presents a study on dynamic characteristics and seismic responses of traditional Chinese timber-frame structures. Micro-tremor measurements were conducted to obtain natural frequencies, vibration modes, and damping ratios. A three-dimensional numerical model considering unique connections, the mass of roof and wooden floor, and adobe walls was developed by ANSYS software and calibrated with

Digital technologies are more and more needed to give access to Cultural Heritage (CH) and to allow for their curation and re-use. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the knowledge on the CH building stock to support sustainable maintenance, preservation and revitalization strategies through the development of user-friendly asset management tools to support the decision-making process towards

A high relief stucco decoration from the Great Chamber of the castle Červená Lhota in the Southern Bohemia was surveyed and characterised as a part of its planned conservation. A detailed analytical work was undertaken in order to provide support for the repair works that aimed to be based on a good knowledge of the original materials and application techniques. The main research focus was on the fruit

Lintels have more than a thousand-year-old history as one of the most important structural elements of historical buildings. In the 20th century, however, masonry lintels have been replaced almost completely by steel or reinforced concrete. The problem of assessing the technical condition, repair and reconstruction methods, and modernization of masonry buildings is still actual and depends on the real

St Francis of Assisi Church is an historic religious building in the centre of Valletta, Malta’s capital. Through analysis of the roof structure we have determined the timber species used in its construction, their state of conservation and the date of different building phases and maintenance work. The study provides an historical and cultural framework for the entire building. Apart from identifying

Unique multifunctional coatings, comprising a 3D superhydrophobic agent and two nanostructured photocatalysts (solar-light sensitive 50/50 and 10/90 TiO2-ZnO nano-heterostructures), compatible with the inorganic substrates of the Built Heritage, have been designed. The synthesized nanoparticles showed an enhanced photocatalytic activity (tested by NO degradation) as compared with the raw TiO2 and ZnO

Lime-based grouts are usually applied for the consolidation and strengthening of historic structures. In the case of architectural surfaces (renders, plasters, murals, wall mosaics), the testing procedure of grouts may concern laboratory (according to relevant standards) and field test methods (simple tests without specialized instrumentation that can be easily applied on-site). In the present study

The imperial Temple at the ancient Roman site of Antiochia ad Cragum has been excavated and studied by an interdisciplinary team since 2005. The temple was found in a collapsed state. Since there were no full-height columns and wall segments left standing, the vertical dimensions of the structure were unknown. After detailed drawings and investigations, the original design of the façade, as well as

Vernacular dwellings, throughout the years, have been continually reused, adapted to the local conditions and survived as cultural testimonies providing a direct link with the past. The satisfaction of human needs with simple means, the use of traditional local materials and available resources, as well as the incorporation of environmental design principles, give them a sustainable identity. With

Earth-based mortars have been used all over the world since ancient times in an extensive range of building types from vernacular architecture to monuments. Plastering is one of the most common contemporary applications of earth-based mortars used for earthen-building conservation or modern architecture. Raw earth is a very diverse natural material, and clay minerals play a key role in plaster properties

Damage in Gothic cathedrals can occur due to single extreme events or long-term processes, often associated with large deformations and cracking. This paper presents the damage survey and structural assessment of a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the oldest, most visited and most known Christian temples in the UK: Canterbury Cathedral, in Kent. Inspection and damage survey showed repetitive crack

The recent developments of micro-electro-mechanical systems and wireless sensor networks allow today the use of low-cost and small-size sensors for continuous monitoring of civil structures. Both these features are very important for the low impact of the sensor grid in heritage structures, ensuring a low-cost and sustainable dynamic monitoring system. Over the last 20 years the use of sensor networks

In case of induced seismicity, expectations from a structural monitoring system are different than in the case of natural seismicity. In this paper, monitoring results of a historical building in Groningen (Netherlands) in case of induced seismicity has been presented. Results of the monitoring, particularities of the monitoring in case of induced earthquakes, as well as the usefulness and need of

Central Italy Earthquakes occurred in 2016 pointed out once more the vulnerability of Cultural Heritage (CH), especially for what concerns bell-towers since they tend to get dramatically damaged due to their considerable slenderness and deterioration, endangering their surroundings and making their preservation fundamental. This work presents the results of the study carried out on four different isolated

The Putuo Zongcheng Temple was built over two hundred years ago. The ancient coating on its wooden structures has been seriously damaged and needs restoration. To restore the original structure, the YMWH (Yi Ma Wu Hui) layer of the ancient coating in the Putuo Zongcheng Temple is separated and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)

The majority of historical masonry bridges were constructed early years and they were not originally designed to carry the extent of loads imposed on them by current vehicular traffic and seismic loads. Therefore, many existing masonry arch bridges can need reassessment and upgrading. In addition to arch elements, the most vulnerable structural elements of masonry arch bridges under transverse seismic

The multidimensional problems that archaeological sites and cultural heritage assets face demand effective multiple criteria decision-making, regarding risk impact identification and evaluation. There is a great array of risks affecting cultural heritage sites and assets nowadays, including environmental and manmade factors. Risk assessment towards decision-making always considers cultural sites’ and

The Alcazaba of Guadix (Granada, Spain) is an Andalusi urban fortress that underwent many transformations since the outset of its construction in the 11th century. It was analysed through the method of Building Archaeology, that is, by means of a combination of stratigraphic analyses and the characterisation of its constructive techniques. Each analysis is based on a three-dimensional photogrammetric

The paper deals with the seismic investigation of two masonry churches, namely Visitazione and San Giuliano, which are located in Poggio Picenze, a small town about 10 km far from L’Aquila. The seismic response assessment of the churches, which were damaged by the severe seismic event occurred in Italy on 2009 April 6th, has been performed by means of experimental dynamic tests and numerical analyses

This morphological study of multi-storied brick pagodas of the Tang Dynasty expands studies of the design theories of traditional masonry towers. Through a comprehensive examination of the formal beauty and design principles of ancient Chinese architecture, we identified and verified square-circle patterns (special intersectional relationships between squares and circles in geometry) and the dimensional

The ageing and degradation of built heritage is an important topic in discussion around the world, especially when located in urban areas, and it raises concerns about their safeguard and preservation. In this regard, national and regional policies have an important role in controlling the level of the interventions and giving the stakeholders tools that allow taking sustained decisions. For that,

The city of Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) was erected after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake following a Pombaline development similar to the well-known reconstruction of Lisbon downtown. It included seismic-resistant measures at an urban and architectural level, but most original buildings have nowadays been replaced or are highly altered. A research question arises whether or not and to what extent

The seismic vulnerability assessment of buildings in historic city centres is the first step to mitigate the possible damage, to prevent heritage losses and to preserve their historical identity. In this paper, the analysis is focused on the residential buildings of “Ground Zero Area” in El Cabanyal. This unique quarter of Valencia, once a fishermen’s settlement, has a strong village-like identity

This paper summarizes a study whose primary objectives were to develop a model for nonlinear static analysis of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, considering the flexibility of the floor system and analyzing the influence of stiffening the floor system on the overall seismic response of such buildings. With this aim, a six-story building typical of the Eixample-Barcelona district was used as a

Masonry churches represent a significant construction typology at risk from earthquakes, as clearly shown by recent seismic events. For a quick assessment of the vulnerability of historical churches, a very effective method is the well-known form for the evaluation of damage and vulnerability based the macro-element approach. Anyway, in the calculation of the vulnerability index of the method intangible

Lime-based renders have been used since the earliest periods of antiquity. Amongst them, hydrated lime renders set and harden almost entirely through carbonation; this is a slow chemical reaction, which hinders the wider use of the aforementioned composites. The present study focuses on hydrated lime renders that have been modified through the addition of nano-sized dolerite quarry waste and olivine