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Conservation through knowledge: the case study of Parma Botanic Garden
No full textIn the restoration field it is well known that the preservation of cultural heritage stands on a deep comprehension of the architectural object, material expression of a complex system made of cultural, technological, historical, social and economic issues. The knowledge of such meaningful structures requires the identification of both typological features and peculiar characteristics, within an interactive dialogue between contributions from different disciplines. Thus, the study of existing buildings is a complex process that needs to be planned: that means conceived, organized and realized with a critical method. The paper aims to show an example of this approach by presenting the knowledge path followed for the analysis of the Botanic Garden in Parma, Italy. This green area is located in the south of the city and hosts several buildings including the school of botany and the elegant greenhouse, built at the end of the 18th century. Recently, the restoration of the architectural complex has been proposed, aiming at its valorisation. The design process was supported by the studies and the analysis of the existing buildings carried out by the research group in Restoration of the University of Parma. In the specific, the constructive phases have been investigated through historical archive researches whereas the current structural systems have been studied through the geometric survey. Moreover, in-situ inspections allowed to define materials, deepening the knowledge of structural elements and their state of conservation. Finally, the survey of the crack pattern and decay allows to highlight vulnerabilities and mechanisms of collapse. In this way, it has been possible to understand the architectural structure thanks to the comparison between all data collected. On the other hand, in order to respect the historical construction, these analyses are required to reach a satisfying level of detail with the minimum action on the material construction, preferring non-destructive investigations. This approach entails assumptions and uncertainties that could be managed thanks to a critical interpretation of the results. Thus, the case study of Parma Botanic Garden shows the importance of planning the knowledge path with awareness in order to progressively deepen the comprehension with an interactive dialogue between the architectural object and the restoration issue
Emergency Response for Architectural Heritage in Seismic Areas: An Integrated Approach to Safety and Conservation
No full textIn 2015, hazard mitigation became a top priority on the international agenda, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. When it comes to architectural heritage, it is crucial to develop tools and site-specific response plans that can help the prompt and effective management of seismic events. The paper presents part of a research study carried out at the University of Parma, aimed at improving emergency strategies for the protection of cultural heritage damaged by earthquakes. Specifically, it analyses first aid and recovery reinforcements, with a specific focus on masonry churches affected by the 2012 quake in the Emilia Romagna region (Italy). The study highlights criticalities and good practices of a site-specific response. It shows that recovery with a sharp separation between emergency and reconstruction activities leads to wasted resources in terms of cost, material, and time. On the other hand, the most effective strategies for the conservation of architectural heritage in earthquake-prone areas have proved to be based on an integrated and shared approach, aimed at balancing safety, conservation, and economic issues. This leads to a broadening of the concept of emergency interventions and, more generally, of structural reinforcement in the field of architectural conservation
Non-smooth Dynamic Analysis of Local Seismic Damage Mechanisms of the San Felice Fortress in Northern Italy
Get PDFAbstractThe May 2012 seismic swarm, with epicenter in the Modena plane, in Northern Italy, had severe consequences on the historical buildings of the area. In particular, the fortified structures suffered specific, recurring damage and collapse mechanisms. The present paper deals with the case of the San Felice sul Panaro Fortress, which saw the collapse of 4 out of 5 towers and many other global and local effects. The work starts with an in-depth knowledge path, as a fundamental premise for a conscious intervention. The combination among historical analysis of the building, seismic history of the site, materials and pathological survey, structural identification, on-site inspections and tests, allowed to interpret the crack pattern and to identify the damage mechanisms activated by the earthquake, successively examined with specific structural analyses. In particular, the present paper concentrates on the numerical modelling of the identified local mechanisms, adopting a type of analysis first developed at the University of Parma for applied mechanics, based on the use of non-smooth dynamics software, through a Differential Variational Inequalities (DVI) formulation specifically developed for the 3D discrete elements method. It allows to follow large displacements and the opening and closure of cracks in dynamic field. Once the modelling instrument was calibrated, thanks to the comparison with the real damages previously inspected, it was also applied to foresee the behavior of the same mechanisms with different actions and with different types of strengthening
Emergency Response to Damaged Architectural Heritage: Time, Safety and Conservation
No full textThe balance between conservation and safety is always a tough issue when dealing with built heritage. Especially in emergency conditions – after an earthquake or a war – an effective balance between cultural and structural issues is difficult to reach because of the urgency of securing a huge number of damaged buildings and monuments. In these cases, several first aid interventions turned out to be harmful or ineffective for the conservation of historic buildings, as they were realized looking only for short term stability requirements. However, Italian Guidelines suggest the possible use of first aid techniques as definitive interventions because of their reversibility, feature highly recommended in restoration interventions. Therefore, emergency techniques were studied in order to define a methodological approach for securing the built cultural heritage in consideration of both structural and preservative issues. In the specific, the most widespread techniques used as provisional reinforcement in the 2012 Emilia earthquake were analyzed, considering their structural efficiency and their compliance with the conservation principles. To this purpose, some examples are presented, underlying criticalities and potentialities. This analysis highlights that the design of urgent interventions cannot address only to the emergency phase, but it must be considered as a part of the overall conservation process, that goes from the survey of damages to the final restoration. In this regard, the management system and response plans deeply influence the effectiveness of first aid on architectural heritage. Some consideration about effective methods to balance structural and conservative issues in emergency conditions are presented, as a hint to improve awareness and emergency preparedness
Historic masonry building: From damage to first aid interventions
No full textOver centuries, the Italian territory has undergone several seismic events which caused deep injuries to existing buildings environment, especially to cultural heritage sites. The recurring of the same mechanisms of collapse in masonry structures allows the study of their seismic behaviour in order to define reinforcement interventions for their conservation. Thanks to recent researches, several tools are nowadays available to manage the preservation of historical buildings in face of seismic emergency but further studies are still necessary to optimize securing operations. In particular, the choice of first aid interventions seems to be disconnected from the damage survey and moreover the design and realization of temporary interventions rarely consider the following phases of definitive restoration with a consequent waste of resources. In light of these considerations, a research has been carried out within the PhD Programme at Parma University, in collaboration with Emilia Romagna regional offices for the post-seismic reconstruction. The study analysed the management of the emergency caused by the 2012 earthquake in the Emilia Romagna region in order to define a methodology to optimize the definition of first aid techniques and the cost assessment. The research focuses on religious buildings, one of the most vulnerable architectural typology to seismic actions. Several case studies have been investigated in order to identify the elements of vulnerability, the main securing actions, the advantages and disadvantages of each one and the aspects to care while preparing the emergency response. Moreover, statistical analyses have been carried out on the cost assessment, leading to a methodological proposal that allows to identify the most suitable first aid intervention for the specific case, optimize their operative application and evaluate restoration costs in an homogeneous way
Assessment of the Effectiveness of Composite Materials in the Strengthening of Historical Churches: Comparative Analysis of Emilian Case Studies Damaged by Seismic Events
No full textThe use of composite materials in the strengthening of historic architectural heritage has been widely adopted over the last decades to enhance structural resilience while preserving the aesthetic and cultural integrity of buildings. However, the long-term assessment of such interventions remains a highly relevant topic, particularly in seismic-prone areas.
This study examines historic churches in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, which were reinforced with composite materials following the 1996 earthquake. The 2012 earthquake provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions: while some structures sus-tained significant damage, others demonstrated good resistance.
Through a comparative analysis of the observed damage and the construc-tion features of each building, this research explores the role of qualitative factors related to the constructive details of reinforcement, compatibility with traditional materials, execution techniques, and the structural specificities of the churches in determining their seismic response.
The aim of this study is to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the use of composite materials in heritage conservation, promoting a more informed and data-driven approach to designing durable and effective reinforcement solutions
The role of knowledge in defining strategies for conservation and strengthening: a case study from the 2012 Emilia earthquake
No full textThe conservation of cultural heritage implies the achievement of an adequate level of safety, fundamental basis to fully exploit the potential of the monument. Therefore, the choice of strengthening interventions plays a very important role in the field of architectural conservation, in order to optimize the few resources available. Identifying the weakest points and defining a priority scale among them allows to minimize the interventions, focusing the attention where really needed, avoiding useless or excessive actions. The identification of the more effective interventions derives from a thorough knowledge of the construction, from its historical evolution to the current state, in an almost spontaneous way. This paper aims to present the case study of Palazzo Costabili, a sixteenth-century building, located in the city center of Ferrara, widely damaged by the seismic events occurred in May 2012. This example shows how the phase of knowledge was essential for the definition of the conservation and strengthening actions aimed to the damage reduction. The collaboration between the University of Parma and the Regional Secretariat for Cultural Heritage of Emilia Romagna (MIBACT) led to the definition of a design proposal aimed to the reduction of vulnerabilities through local reinforcement interventions, chosen according to specific local conditions, arisen from the critical elaboration of all information acquired from the analysis of history, geometry, materials, degradations, past damages and past interventions and, moreover, from the data obtained from in situ surveys
Proposta di protocolli operativi per la conservazione di gallerie storiche in muratura
No full textThe management of road infrastructures, such as bridges and tunnels, provides an example of preventive maintenance approach to avoid emergency interventions and to keep risk at acceptable levels. Some of these infrastructures also presents an intrinsic value as single architectural assets and landscape signs. However, the
infrastructural scale of these constructions, as well as the demands of functionality and safety, pose new challenges in terms of conservation. The present article describes a specific protocol for the risk assessment of historic masonry tunnels and provides indications for the consequent interventions. The protocol is based on the guidelines for risk classification and management, safety assessment and monitoring of existing tunnels, integrated with approaches from the field of architectural restoration. The proposed protocol was applied to the "Autocamionale Genova-Valle Po" and made it possible to assess the state of conservation of surfaces and to identify specific critical points for masonry tunnels. To face these criticalities, the first intervention proposals were made, overcoming the ordinary maintenance work, which usually consider only technical aspects, and introducing some sensitiveness also to the conservation needs
Monitorare per conservare: il caso della Torre Ghirlandina di Modena
Get PDFThe monumental complex consisting of the cathedral, tower and main square of Modena (Northern Italy) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The visible tilting of the Ghirlandina tower has always generated concerns for its preservation, even more after the recent seismic events. This paper highlights the role of structural monitoring for the conservation of the site, with particular reference to the data acquired during the recent Emilia earthquakes. Unexpectedly, the inclination of this leaning tower decreased after the major seismic event. Some considerations are presented regarding the difficulty of modelling this kind of effects on buildings with complex historical stratifications and the application of the observational method, derived from geotechnical engineering, is proposed. The importance of structural monitoring is once again recalled, in order to preserve world heritage and comply with the principle of minimum intervention
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