Strengthening of building structures of historical masonry buildings in Syria with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) rods and stainless steel helical rods

The article presents the most innovative methods of strengthening and (or) seismic strengthening of masonry for use in historical buildings that are of architectural value, for example, in old mosques in Syria, which are architectural monuments. These methods are designed to protect such buildings, many of which are of architectural and cultural value and are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, from cracks of various sizes and directions and from the negative effects of earthquakes that can occur at any time. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer rods (CFRP) rods and stainless steel helical rods are considered. Two mosques in Syria are briefly described as examples of historical masonry buildings, which are architectural monuments and objects of cultural heritage. In the end conclusions are drawn.

Onsite Testing for Nonlinear Analysis of an Earthquake Damaged Historical Church in Italy

Analysis and diagnosis of historical masonry buildings are frequently affected by uncertainties due to unexpected behaviors caused by cumulative damage, material decay or transformations. This research work follows a methodology in the structural analysis of the historical masonry church of San Filippo Neri in Macerata, severely damaged after the Central Italy Earthquake occurred in October 2016. The PRiSMa laboratory (Proof testing and Research in Structures and Materials) of Roma Tre University carried out an extensive onsite testing campaign, including NDT tests as sonic tomography and endoscopy, and minor destructive technique as double flat jack test, together with dynamic monitoring under ambient vibrations, to investigate the state of conservation of the building. The onsite testing results were then implemented in an accurate finite element model, which was tuned up by means of global dynamic response provided by OMA (operational modal analysis) and updated, after the sensitivity analysis, through the Douglas-Reid method. Finally, nonlinear static and dynamic analyses were performed to investigate the state of damage of the church and reduce its uncertainties. This methodology will support the design of strengthening measures to achieve a higher level of safety concerning both needs of protection and conservation, thereby avoiding ineffectual or amiss interventions.

Combined Energy-Seismic Retrofit of Existing Historical Masonry Buildings: The Novel “DUO System” Coating System Applied to a Case Study

The safety of the built heritage of our cities towards environmental factors and seismic actions is a pressing need for designers and researchers. The actual trend is to setup effective solutions to reduce thermal dispersions through the building envelope. Contrarily, combined systems able to enhance the resistance of constructions to earthquakes, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to increase the energetic efficiency of existing buildings are scarcely diffused on the market and are rarely investigated in the scientific literature. In this framework, the seismic design of the new envelope DUO system for seismic-environmental requalification of existing masonry constructions is illustrated in the present paper with reference to a case study in the Neapolitan area. After the geometrical and mechanical characterization of the investigated building is performed, an FEM model of the masonry construction is setup by the SAP2000 analysis program, which has allowed performing pushover analyses. Based on the non-linear seismic response of the construction, an appropriate upgrading design mainly based on the innovative seismic envelope DUO system has been made. The static non-linear analyses applied to the upgraded FEM model of the building have shown a clear increase in performance in terms of strength, stiffness and ductility, thus confirming the effectiveness of the proposed envelope system.

Construction types and typologies of existing masonry arch bridges in Croatia

Historical masonry arch bridges still form an important part of Croatian transportation network. There are approximately 680 masonry arch bridges and culverts currently being used for railways and roadways. Many of these bridges are relatively old (more than hundred years in most cases) but still in usage. Increasing vehicle load and speeds as well as deterioration due to anthropogenic and environmental influence have highlighted the need for reliable assessment of their service condition and regular maintenance. The aim of this study is to provide a review of existing masonry arch bridges in Croatia. Firstly, a historical review of bridges is given showing the time period in which they were built, indicating the materials and design principles used for their construction. Next, bridge typologies are presented as well as their detailed analysis of geometric characteristics for brickwork bridges. Finally, a short review of damages and their impact on serviceability of bridges is given. This review presents masonry arch bridges in Croatia and the need for reliable method of assessing their service condition in order to provide proper maintenance, repairing and retrofitting.

Influence of time intervals of microwave drying of masonry on the final result of drying

In the area of drying damp masonry, we already know the discussed method of microwave drying. This method is indestructive, which is why it is considered to be used for listed heritage buildings. Even though there was much research done already on this topic, we are still missing answers for some questions regarding particular methodological procedures. This contribution is focused on the impact of time intervals of microwave drying on the final result of masonry drying. The experiment was done on historical masonry of CPP and on ceramic masonry. Two laboratory samples were made out of each type of masonry, to which we applied microwave drying in different time intervals. Difference was in both time of drying and time of pauses between them. The aim was to set an ideal interval of drying.