Seismic Capacity Estimation of a Masonry Bell-Tower with Verticality Imperfection Detected by a Drone-Assisted Survey

Masonry towers are considered an important part of cultural heritage due to their architectural and historical value. From a structural perspective these kind of buildings are considered slender elements, the same as a cantilever beam. In real cases it is not easy to model with high accuracy these heritage constructions, since the geometry and mechanical properties of the constituent materials are not adequately known. On the other hand, a deep knowledge of the structural and seismic vulnerability of the masonry towers is needed in order to preserve and retrofit, when necessary, their architectural and cultural value. In the present research an exhaustive study is presented, as it regards the assessment of the seismic vulnerability of a heritage masonry bell-tower, built in the 14th century. An innovative protocol of structural survey followed, and it is proposed herein. The geometry of the tower was easily obtained by digital photogrammetry assisted by a drone. The geometrical model was easily converted into a digitalized input, that was introduced into a finite element method (FEM)-based code. The 3D model was used for linear static, linear dynamic and nonlinear static (pushover) structural analyses. The vulnerability of the masonry tower was assessed and at least one kinematic was found to be not verified.

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