Title: Safety assessment of the Sanctuary of Vicoforte, Italy

Authors: Takayoshi Aoki, Noboru Yuasa, Hitoshi Hamasaki, Yoshiaki Nakano, Noriyuki Takahashi, Yasuo Tanigawa, Tatsuhito Komiyama, Tomoyuki Ina, Donato Sabia, Giacomo Vincenzo Demarie

Addresses: Graduate School of Design and Architecture, Nagoya City University, 2-1-10 Kitachikusa, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 464-0083, Japan. ' Department of Architectural Engineering, Nihon University, 1-2-1 Izumi-cho, Narashino-shi, Chiba 275-8575, Japan. ' Department of Building Materials and Components, Building Research Institute, 1 Tachihara, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0802, Japan. ' Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan. ' Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan. ' Mie Prefecture Testing Centre for Construction Materials, 1095 Nakahamakakiuchi, Kumozunagatsune-cho, Tsu-shi, Mie 514-0303, Japan. ' Constec Engineering Co., Ltd., 2-3-14 Tokiwa-machi, Chuou-ku, Oosaka-shi, Osaka 540-0028, Japan. ' Constec Engineering Co., Ltd., 2-3-14 Tokiwa-machi, Chuou-ku, Oosaka-shi, Osaka 540-0028, Japan. ' Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Turin Polytechnic, 24 Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, Turin 10129, Italy. ' Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Turin Polytechnic, 24 Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, Turin 10129, Italy

Abstract: In order to evaluate safety assessment of the Sanctuary of Vicoforte, Italy, a series of non-destructive tests were carried out for diagnostic inspection of its deterioration. Delamination of stone finishing and fresco painting were detected. Dynamic ambient vibration test was carried out and the relevant modes of vibration were identified resorting to the stochastic subspace identification method. The first two natural frequencies of the Sanctuary of Vicoforte were estimated to be about 1.93 Hz and 2.07 Hz in East-West and North-South directions, respectively. Therefore, the dome seems to be vulnerable to severe earthquakes characteristic of the local seismicity such as we experienced in recent years.

Keywords: Sanctuary of Vicoforte; elliptical masonry dome; diagnostic inspection; deterioration; brick; material tests; compressive strength; Young|s modulus; dynamic ambient vibration testing; stochastic subspace identification; natural frequency; mode shape; safety assessment; Italy; nondestructive testing; NDT; historic buildings; structural rehabilitation; delamination; stone finishing; fresco paintings; vibration modes; earthquakes; seismic behaviour.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMSI.2011.041935

International Journal of Materials and Structural Integrity, 2011 Vol.5 No.2/3, pp.215 - 240

Published online: 27 Nov 2014 *

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