Static behavior of a bearing brick wall leaning on localized supports: a case study concerning the consolidation project of the S. Faustino Convent in Brescia

Summary

The work deals with some diagnostic problems which arised during some phases of the restoration and adaption project of the structures of the ancient building which is the former convent of S. Faustino in Brescia, now destined to become the center of the University representative offices.

In particular, the study is presented for the interpretation of the static behaviour of a main masonry wall with great dimensions, which was originally “wrongly” built from the static point of view.

We are dealing with a main bearing wall which does not reach the ground but stops at the level of the first floor and is supported just by arches and transversal walls situated below.

Two principal phases of the diagnostic interpretation are described: the survey and the static interpretation of the exiting cracks, and the numerical analysis done to support and confirm the static hypotheses derived from the cracked picture.