Evidences of damage induced by past and recent earthquakes in Italy testify the seismic vul-nerability of masonry towers, especially when founded on soft soils. A significant case study is represented by the 68m high Carmine Bell tower, located in the coastal area of Napoli ur-ban center. The structure, the foundation and the subsoil of the tower were deeply investi-gated through field and laboratory tests and dynamic monitoring. Non-linear seismic re-sponse analyses of the Soil-Foundation-Structure system were carried out on a full dynamic 3D model, for which the parameters were accurately calibrated on the experimental data. Since the tower stands between a church and a friary, the effect of the lateral constraints ex-erted by the neighboring structures was numerically investigated. The lateral constraint im-posed along the tower was found to strongly affect the seismic response of the system, as it changes the position and the time of occurrence of the plastic hinges occurring in the struc-ture or in the foundation. Finally, the foundation safety was assessed by comparing the evo-lution of base forces to the failure locus.
Carmine bell tower in Napoli: prediction of soil-structure interaction under seismic actions
F. Ceroni;
2018-01-01
Abstract
Evidences of damage induced by past and recent earthquakes in Italy testify the seismic vul-nerability of masonry towers, especially when founded on soft soils. A significant case study is represented by the 68m high Carmine Bell tower, located in the coastal area of Napoli ur-ban center. The structure, the foundation and the subsoil of the tower were deeply investi-gated through field and laboratory tests and dynamic monitoring. Non-linear seismic re-sponse analyses of the Soil-Foundation-Structure system were carried out on a full dynamic 3D model, for which the parameters were accurately calibrated on the experimental data. Since the tower stands between a church and a friary, the effect of the lateral constraints ex-erted by the neighboring structures was numerically investigated. The lateral constraint im-posed along the tower was found to strongly affect the seismic response of the system, as it changes the position and the time of occurrence of the plastic hinges occurring in the struc-ture or in the foundation. Finally, the foundation safety was assessed by comparing the evo-lution of base forces to the failure locus.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
