Statics of Historic Masonry Constructions: An Essay

Abstract

I feel honoured to present the findings published in my recent book Statica delle Costruzioni Storiche in Muratura to the Association Edoardo Benvenuto. I like to add that, during the phase of preparation for this present essay, the English edition of the book, Statics of Historic Masonry Constructions, has also been published by Springer. My research took shape gradually, during thirty years of research, professional experience and teaching. The book firstly gives fundamentals of statics of the masonry solid from its mathematical groundings and then applies them to the study of the static behaviour of arches, piers and vaults. Further, combining engineering and architecture and through an interdisciplinary approach, my research highlights the deep connections existing between statics and architecture and investigates the static behaviour of many historic monuments, as the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the domes of S. Maria del Fiore in Florence and of St. Peter in Rome, the Tower of Pisa, the Gothic cathedrals etc. In the end the book considers the behaviour of masonry buildings under seismic actions. Here I will discuss the adopted hypotheses and some key passages of the main issues involved.