Masonry Structures Historic

The paper presents an overview of the results of diagnostic and monitoring activities carried out in the last years through satellite radar interferometry (2011-2016) and in situ measurements (2017-2019) in the historical city of Gubbio, Italy. The study is aimed at contributing to understanding the potential of remote sensing technologies in measuring complex deformation phenomena in historic buildings, such as those caused by soil-structural interaction and earthquakes, considering the monumental Consoli Palace and the Town Walls as case studies. The research activities have been carried out within the European HERACLES project, funded in the framework of Horizon (2020) and aimed at proposing novel diagnostic monitoring solutions for enhancing heritage resilience against various types of hazards. Particular attention is focused on the cross-correlation of the outputs of satellite radar interferometry and in-situ structural monitoring data aimed at achieving engineering meaningful results supporting decision making and proactive interventions.

There have been numerous publications on unreinforced masonry construction in the literature; however, there is a lack of publications on the condition assessment of existing unreinforced masonry façades for disturbances due to nearby subway construction. To fill this gap, this paper presents a study in which a 5-story historical building with unreinforced masonry façade experiences inward and outward deformations perpendicular to the plane of wall due to nearby subway construction. The performance of the unreinforced masonry façade is examined under wind load combinations. For this, a finite-element (FE) model is built in ANSYS software to conduct a stress analysis of the brick façade. The results revealed that the tensile stresses exceeded the tensile stress limit at several locations; therefore, a structural remediation is required. A structural retrofit is proposed to tie the façade wall to the floor diaphragms with steel anchor rods at specific stories. Another FE model is built to represent the remedies proposed for stabilizing the façade wall. The results show that all stresses are within the limits, indicating that the structural solution for the remediation is appropriate. As a result of this study, the proposed remediation was implemented at the building, and the structure has been in good structural condition without any complaints, even after the subway construction was completed and the subway line was in operation.

Il periodo di vibrazione fondamentale svolge un ruolo fondamentale nella valutazione della domanda sismica. Il suo valore dipende dalle distribuzioni di massa e rigidezza nella struttura in esame ed è in genere valutato mediante analisi numeriche o, per alcune tipologie strutturali ricorrenti, mediante formulazioni empiriche semplificate. Nel presente articolo vengono presentati i risultati di una campagna sperimentale di identificazione dinamica di torri in muratura ricadenti nel territorio molisano. Queste ...

The dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence was, until far into the 20th century, the largest dome in the world. The dome's design and construction in the 15th century presented its makers with huge challenges. The results of their work were due above all to the creativity and technical accomplishment of the designer. The only resources he could draw on here were the knowledge already held by the building guilds and the analysis of existing domes. The designer and builder was Filippo Brunelleschi. He developed a method for constructing the dome without temporary supports and devised a method for construction of the outer dome. This study analyzes the basic construction method, also devoting attention to the state of engineering in the 15th century and to the social context. The aim was primarily to examine the basic principles of his impressive inventions

En 2011 y durante la construcción de una nueva vía urbana, fueron encontrados bajo tierra los vestigios de un puente de arcos de ladrillo, construido en la ciudad de Cali (Colombia) entre 1836 y 1845 por artesanos locales dirigidos por el sacerdote franciscano Ignacio Ortiz. Los procedimientos arqueológicos llevados a cabo conjuntamente con estudios histórico – constructivos y levantamientos arquitectónicos, han dado cuenta de una estructura conformada por nueve bóvedas de albañilería, cuatro de las cuales se apoyaban en delgados pilares que a su vez se asentaban el lecho del río que por entonces delimitaba la ciudad; las cinco bóvedas restantes servían de aliviaderos.
Esta ponencia describe los procedimientos llevados a cabo para reconstruir la historia del puente empleando una metodología que combina la pesquisa documental, la verificación de hipótesis constructivas elaboradas a partir de evidencias materiales encontradas en el sitio y la caracterización físico química y mecánica de sus materiales constitutivos (ladrillos y morteros principalmente).
Todo lo anterior tiene como objetivo principal el tratar de comprender de qué manera las antiguas técnicas mediterráneas de origen romano se implantaron en tierras americanas y fueron capaces de superar el período llamado colonial gracias a la apropiación que de ellas hicieron los maestros de obras locales y que prolongaron hasta bien entrada la etapa republicana.
El proceso de investigación que respalda esta ponencia ha sido adelantado por la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Manizales y se ha adelantado a lo largo de los años 2011 y 2012.

Como en muchos otros países hispanoamericanos, en Colombia prosperó desde el siglo XVIII y hasta muy entrada la edad republicana, ya en el siglo XX, la tradición mediterránea de construir puentes de arco ladrillo como respuesta a la tarea de vadear un río o salvar un abismo, mucho más delicada cuando de lo que se trataba era de descubrir y colonizar un territorio extenso, nuevo y virgen. Solo en la región del alto Cauca, en el sur – occidente del país,  se construyeron al menos 34 de ellos, de características geométricas diversas y dimensiones singulares, siguiendo las pautas relacionadas con la preparación de los materiales de construcción (ladrillos y morteros), la fabricación de encofrados, el tendido de las roscas, el dimensionados de los pilares y en general, de todas aquellas relativas a la conformación de unas estructuras que se han conservado durante décadas a pesar de las difíciles condiciones del entorno natural y social y de una fuerte e intensa actividad sísmica de los suelos sobre los que están fundados.
Esta ponencia, a partir de un estudio de caso debidamente contextualizado, dará cuenta de los resultados parciales de un trabajo de investigación que se ha ocupado durante los últimos años del inventario y valoración del conjunto de puentes construidos, desarrollando una metodología que combina la pesquisa histórica con el análisis estructural y la evaluación de las propiedades físico – químicas de sus materiales  constitutivos.

The Palace of Baron Empain in Cairo is a unique architectural masterpiece of its kind. Edward Empain, a rich Belgian, built it in 1911 influenced by the architecture of the famous Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat. The palace is composed of three floors (basement, ground and first) and a roof, it is surrounded by a garden from all sides. It suffered from neglect for decades, and recently appeared initiatives for its restoration and re-use. This paper aims to provide a proposal for the re-use of the palace. For this purpose, the palace was visually inspected and the signs of damage were documentated and explained. A re-use proposal was developed in which the ground floor is re-used as a small museum after being furnished on the historical style. The first floor is re-used as a museum and/or a motel. The roof is re-used in holding cultural seminars, and as a place for distinctive imaging types. The palace garden is to be re-used similar to its historical usage as an open space for celebrations and parties. The basement is re-used as a service floor for the visitors. To support this re-use proposal, a 3D numerical model of the palace was created and the new expected loads were applied on it. It was found that the palace's walls and foundations can sustain the new loads. The slabs were found to be unable to sustain the new loads at certain places and further investigation and analysis is needed to judge its actual capacity.

A presente obra constitui o resultado de diversos anos de
pesquisa de doutoramento desenvolvida entre a Universidade
“La Sapienza” de Roma e o Instituto Superior Técnico de Lisboa.
O objectivo inicial da investigação era o de estudar de forma
crítica as fontes sobre a arte de construir em alvenaria, que têm
permanecido adormecidas nas bibliotecas, sistematizar a informa
ção obtida e, por fim, discutir à luz das teorias e conhecimentos
mais recentes a sua utilidade para a conservação de
edifícios históricos.
O autor conseguiu ir mais além destes objectivos e o resultado
final é uma original contribuição para o conhecimento europeu
da “Arte de Bem Construir”, tão necessária aos engenheiros
e arquitectos envolvidos em processos de restauro e de conserva
ção do património construído. Esta obra apresenta três componentes principais:

1. Constitui uma primeira bibliografia comentada das fontes
técnico-literárias necessárias ao conhecimento das construções
em alvenaria, à imagem de obras tais como a de Kruft, destinada
às fontes da história da Arquitectura, ou a de Von Schlosser,
dedicada às técnicas artísticas;

2. Consiste no primeiro repertório estruturado, comentado
e traduzido para a linguagem técnica contemporânea, do antigo
conhecimento construtivo dos sistemas de fundações, maciços
portantes, arcos, abóbadas e respectivos revestimentos;
3. Compreende uma reflexão sistemática e completa sobre o
uso desses princípios e técnicas nos diversos momentos do processo de conservação arquitectónica, ou seja durante o levantamento cognitivo, na fase de tomada de decisões e, por fim, na fase de intervenção propriamente dita.

Este livro coloca, de forma original, as antigas técnicas construtivas ao lado das modernas técnicas de intervenção, como
instrumentos úteis e fundamentais para a actividade conservativa.
Não caindo em simples comparações entre eficácia de uma
ou outra técnica, vista a multiplicidade infinita da casuística
possível, o saber tradicional é tratado em pé de igualdade com o
conhecimento contemporâneo, contrapondo as vantagens de um
e de outro, estabelecendo assim a difícil relação entre o antigo e
o moderno.

Este trabalho inovador não só é importante para engenheiros
e arquitectos como para historiadores da Arte, estabelecendo
uma forte proposição para a preservação dos edifícios antigos e
em particular para a formação de uma cultura do restauro em
Portugal. Espero que possa vir a constituir uma referência basilar
para a ciência das construções e da sua conservação e um ponto
de partida para investigações futuras na área dos sistemas construtivos tradicionais.

The research developed in the last years have proved the importance of the Crown of Aragon -and of the Kingdom of Navarra- as a bridge for the spreading of the late Gothic from the other side of the Pyrenees to the Crowns of Castile and Portugal. Isambart, Pedro Jalopa and other professionals of the stone -of different origins and training- played an important part within this process. Their risky life and professional courses lead them to coincide in different points of the European geography before converging on Aragonese land and forming the team which would combine, at least between 1417 and 1422, the refurbishment of the former main chapel -the current chapel of the Corporals- of the collegiate church of Daroca (Zaragoza) and the construction of the chapel of San Agustín in the cathedral of the Aragonese capital, which disappeared sixteen years after its erection. This team dispersed shortly after completing these two contracts and spread the innovations of the flamboyant architecture and of the sculpture of Burgundian ascendant through other peninsular artistic focuses until the central years of the Cuatrocientos, when the arrival of new foreign masters -Flemish and Breton in Toledo, German in Burgos-, ended up making the introduction of new interpretations of the Gothic easier, above all on Castilian land.


Las investigaciones desarrolladas en los últimos años han venido a demostrar la importancia de la Corona de Aragón –y del Reino de Navarra– como puentes en la difusión del Gótico final desde el otro lado de los Pirineos hasta las Coronas de Castilla y Portugal. Dentro de este proceso desempeñarían un papel determinante, Isambart, Pedro Jalopa y otros profesionales de la piedra de orígenes –y formaciones– diferentes cuyas azarosas trayectorias vitales y profesionales les llevarían a coincidir en distintos puntos de la geografía europea antes de confluir en tierras aragonesas y conformar el equipo que simultanearía, al menos entre 1417 y 1422, la reforma de la antigua capilla mayor –la actual capilla de los Corporales– de la iglesia colegial de Daroca (Zaragoza) y la construcción de la capilla de San Agustín de la catedral de la capital aragonesa, que desaparecería sesenta años después de haberse levantado. Este equipo se dispersaría al poco de concluir estos dos compromisos, difundiendo las novedades de la arquitectura flamígera y de la escultura de ascendente borgoñón por otros focos artísticos peninsulares hasta los años centrales del Cuatrocientos, cuando la llegada de nuevos maestros foráneos –flamencos y bretones a Toledo y alemanes a Burgos–, terminaría facilitando la introducción de nuevas interpretaciones del gótico, sobre todo, en tierras castellanas.

Le ricerche svolte negli ultimi anni hanno dimostrato l'importanza della Corona d'Aragona -e del Regno di Navarra- come ponti nella diffusione dell'ultimo Gotico, proveniente dall'altro lato dei Pirenei, nelle Corone di Castiglia e Portogallo. In questo processo giocarono un ruolo fondamentale Isambart, Pedro Jalopa e altri professionisti della pietra -di origini e formazioni differenti-, che attraverso incerte traiettorie vitali e professionali si incontrarono in punti distinti della geografia europea, per poi confluire nelle terre aragonesi e formare la squadra che si occupò contemporaneamente, almeno tra il 1417 e il 1422, della ristrutturazione dell'antica cappella maggiore -l'attuale cappella de los Corporales- della chiesa collegiata di Daroca (Saragozza) e della costruzione della cappella di Sant'Agostino della cattedrale della capitale aragonese, scomparsa sessant'anni dopo la sua realizzazione. La squadra si dissolse poco tempo dopo la conclusione di queste due opere, e procedette a diffondere le novità dell'architettura gotica fiammeggiante e della scultura di ascendenza borgognona in altri centri artistici peninsulari fino alla metà del Quattrocento, quando l'arrivo di nuovi maestri stranieri -fiamminghi e bretoni a Toledo e tedeschi a Burgos- rese più facile l'introduzione di nuove interpretazioni del gotico, soprattutto nelle terre castigliane.

Resilience of new and existing buildings to climate change is a key research issue. Climate change-related phenomena can considerably affect buildings mechanical and thermal-energy response by contributing to materials degradation and structural safety. Such an impact is even further exacerbated in historical constructions, more vulnerable to such events due to their ancient structure if compared to recent designs. The purpose of this paper is to propose an innovative, integrated, multidisciplinary methodology for assessing construction materials’ degradation in historic masonry buildings and its potential future evolution, providing a risk mapping accounting for interactions between climate change effects and structural damage. Such a replicable approach consists in (i) preliminary site inspections, (ii) damage and degradation surveys, (iii) development and calibration of numerical models predicting structural-thermal response and (iv) prediction of materials degradation accounting for future climate conditions and potential worsening of structural damage. The final output of the procedure is a hierarchical mapping of regions with different degradation severities, by identifying those where a specific type of degradation or damage insists but are likely stable and those where they are expected to get worse due to changes in future climate conditions or to a negative interaction between degradation and damage. The presented approach is applied to an iconic Italian monumental building, the Consoli Palace in Gubbio, where future climate scenarios up to 2080 are simulated according to the IPCC climate change predictions. Results highlight that thermal-energy and structural aspects need to be jointly considered in the preservation of surface materials of historic buildings exposed to climate change severity.

This thesis broadly fits into three areas of the discipline: history, construction, and computation. The objective is to demonstrate a way of working that promotes a greater understanding of the matter, shapes, and forces at play when designing architecture. The motivation for this project comes from an observation on the shortcomings of computation in design: the tools alone are not enough to produce creative work because they lack a means of working that is open-ended and based on visual intuition, rather than mechanical formation. This thesis takes a critical approach toward technology and proposes a slow computation methodology as a means promoting material and structural primacy in architecture design. At the scale of architecture, issues of material and structure are unavoidable. A greater understanding of the matter, shapes, and forces at play can be used to catalyze creative production of designs that can be built, making it possible to intuit and improvise structures by working directly with “stuff” of architecture.

The project will implement the theories and mechanics of shape grammars and graphic statics as a productive means of addressing contemporary issues in architecture through historic inquiry. Working between traditional architectural media - drawing and masonry construction - a new way of looking at unreinforced masonry structures will be presented that makes material, structural and constructive concerns explicit and visual. An inquiry into Andrea Palladio’s Villa Foscari, will seek to develop material, structural and constructive knowledge. From a scholarly perspective, very little has been done in terms of looking at the stability and safety of Palladio’s buildings as unreinforced masonry structures - and yet, the villas in particular were made primarily out of brick. Design rules will be extracted from this close study of Palladio’s villa to define the generative machinery for a slow computation design system. The new structural algebra defined by the design system (characterized by equilibrium constraints) permits architects and designers to work visually with material and structural primacy - to feel the forces in shapes. The contention is working this way offers a means of designing masonry structures that bares on contemporary disciplinary concerns by showing how designing within the constraints of a masonry arch does not have to be mechanical or deterministic, but rather is open-ended, imaginative and creative. To be clear: this project is not about finding compression-only forms - rather - designing WITH them. Although the methodology proposed does not extend to making designs of complete buildings, the way the rules are set up within equilibrium constraints results in the possibility to construct anything in the algebra of shapes. Furthermore, this way of working only produces designs that can be built, which in turn expands the capacity of what architects design in the future.

A builder’s tactile experience working with materials gives way to a visual understanding of the relationship between form and forces. This perceptual understanding of what materials to use and how assemble them in space is at the heart expanding the creative capacity of a contemporary designer. The current lack of integration of material and constructive intelligence in contemporary design methods has resulted in buildings that are overly structured and wasteful. Today it is ethical and essential to work toward designing buildings that are more efficient and constructing them with sustainable materials. Working immaterially is counter-intuitive and limits the capacity of what architects design and how buildings are constructed. Learning to compute with matter, shapes, and forces, brings to light the relationship between current design technologies and methods, and our necessity to make breakthroughs in techniques of assembly and construction.

The Palace of Baron Empain in Cairo is a unique architectural masterpiece of its kind. Edward Empain, a rich Belgian, built it in 1911 influenced by the architecture of the famous Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat. The palace is composed of three floors (basement, ground and first) and a roof, it is surrounded by a garden from all sides. It suffered from neglect for decades, and recently appeared initiatives for its restoration and re-use. This paper aims to provide a proposal for the re-use of the palace. For this purpose, the palace was visually inspected and the signs of damage were documentated and explained. A re-use proposal was developed in which the ground floor is re-used as a small museum after being furnished on the historical style. The first floor is re-used as a museum and/or a motel. The roof is re-used in holding cultural seminars, and as a place for distinctive imaging types. The palace garden is to be re-used similar to its historical usage as an open space for celebrations and parties. The basement is re-used as a service floor for the visitors. To support this re-use proposal, a 3D numerical model of the palace was created and the new expected loads were applied on it. It was found that the palace's walls and foundations can sustain the new loads. The slabs were found to be unable to sustain the new loads at certain places and further investigation and analysis is needed to judge its actual capacity.

Since the first half of the 18th century and much into the Republican Era, the Mediterranean tradition of constructing brick arch bridges prospered in the territory that is now called Colombia. This came about as the need to address the task of crossing a river or overcoming an abyss. In the Alto Cauca region alone (made up of the current Departments of Valle and Cauca) 34 of these bridges were built with diverse geometric characteristics and singular dimensions, following standards related to the preparation of construction materials (brick and mortar), the fabrication of centerings, the laying of rings, the dimensioning of piers, and, in general, all those related to the conformation of structures that have been preserved for decades in spite of the difficult conditions of the natural and social environment and of the strong and intense seismic activity of the ground upon which the bridge foundations are located. This article gathers partial results from research that has been conducted over the last few years on the inventory and the assessment of that group of bridges constructed. The article develops, as the central theme, the way different architects, engineers, and practitioners of the construction trade consolidated a technical tradition along the chronological period indicated.

Language Spanish. The article is an abridged version with many illustrations from the book: Tomlow, J, Das Modell - Antoni Gaudís Hängemodell und seine Rekonstruktion - Neue Erkenntnisse zum Entwurf für die Kirche der Colonia Güell, (Dissertation), The Model.., El Modelo.., Mitteilungen des Instituts für leichte Flächentragwerke (IL), Bd 34, Stuttgart 1989. The thesis doctoral of 1986 (PhD Architecture, University Stuttgart) was consulted by Frei Otto and Jürgen Joedicke. The reconstruction of Gaudí's hanging model was established in April 1982/January 1983 by Rainer Graefe, Frei Otto, Jos Tomlow, Arnold  Walz and team at the Institute of Lichtweight Structures, University Stuttgart. The reconstructed model was a commision by Harald Szeemann (Kunsthaus Zürich), and is part of the Sagrada Familia Museum, Barcelona. Jan Molema, founder of the Gaudí research group was helpfull in finding source material in archives in Barcelona, as well as Peter Bak and Roel van der Heide. The publication shows the method of reconstruction, a reconstruction in drawings of the church of Colonia Güell, a further reconstruction based on "the small hanging model by Gaudí for a church" and includes a critical estimation on the reconstruction quality.

In recent years, the development of long-term structural health monitoring systems for preventive conservation of historic monumental buildings is receiving a growing trend of scientific interest. Nevertheless, the damage detection effectiveness of these systems is still debated, especially in respect to complex masonry palaces where both local and global failure mechanisms can be activated, whereby the majority of the documented successful applications are limited to masonry towers. In particular, one major issue that needs to be solved in order to derive damage sensitive features is associated to the removal of the effects of changes in environmental conditions and, primarily, of ambient temperature, from static and dynamic signatures. This paper aims to contribute to improving knowledge in this field, by investigating temperature effects on static and dynamic response of an iconic Italian monumental palace: the Consoli Palace in Gubbio. With the purpose of early detecting earthquake-induced damages, as well as damages caused by material degradation associated to awkward environmental conditions, a simple low-cost mixed static and dynamic long-term structural health monitoring system has been installed on the Palace by the authors in July 2017. After discussing surveys, ambient vibration tests, diagnostic investigations, numerical modeling and model calibration of the Palace, the analysis of the first year of monitoring data is presented. This analysis shows that, differently from what observed in other literature works on historic masonry towers, the natural frequencies of the Palace show a marked and sometimes non-linear decreasing trend with increasing ambient temperature, that can be effectively removed through linear statistical filtering provided that dynamic regression models, using past values of predictors, are used. On the other side, the evolution of the amplitudes of two major cracks monitored within the building also shows a marked linear decreasing trend with increasing ambient temperature. These results are meaningful towards the use of monitoring data for assessing the initial health conditions of a structure, as well as in a damage detection perspective.

ABSTRACT: This lecture covers Dynasty 3, beginning with a discussion of the Sed Festival in general regarding the various rites, its setting, structures, participants, and other details.  It proceeds next with an examination of the reigns, expeditions, achievements, and monuments (i.e., mainly pyramids) of kings Djoser, Sekhemkhet, Khaba (Nebka), Sanakht, and Qahwdjet (Huni), with a detailed coverage of King Djoser's Step Pyramid complex, the various components within it and their significance and/or postulated functions.  It concludes with a discussion of the small Dynasty 3 step pyramids found throughout the Nile Valley, plus a summary section outlining the lecture's main points.  UPDATED: Feb. 2023

The tradition of stereotomy developed in the different Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula between the late XIV and the early XV century will allow to materialize in stone the new Renaissance system which had arrived from Italy. This phenomenon, which represents, without a doubt, one of the greatest Spanish contributions to the “a la Antigua” architecture, will follow two different ways: one, derived from the construction techniques developed in the building of ribbed vaults, and the other one based on the carving and assembly of “piezas enterizas”.




La tradición estereotómica desarrollada en los diferentes reinos cristianos de la Península Ibérica desde finales del siglo XIV y comienzos de la centuria siguiente permitirá afrontar la materialización en piedra del nuevo sistema renacentista llegado desde Italia. Este fenómeno, que constituye, sin lugar a dudas, una de las mayores aportaciones españolas a la arquitectura “a la antigua”, se abordará a partir de dos vías sensiblemente diferentes: una, derivada de las técnicas constructivas desarrolladas en el volteo de las bóvedas de crucería, y otra, basada en la labra y el ensamblado de “piezas enterizas”.





La tradizione stereotomica sviluppata nei vari regni cristiani della Penisola Iberica tra la fine del XIV secolo e gli inizi del secolo successivo permetterà di affrontare la materializzazione in pietra del nuovo sistema rinascimentale giunto dall’Italia. Questo fenomeno, che rappresenta, senza alcun dubbio, uno dei maggiori contributi spagnoli all’architettura “a la antigua”, seguirà due vie profondamente differenti: una, derivata dalle tecniche costruttive sviluppate nella costruzione di volte a crociera, e l’altra basata sulla lavorazione e l’assemblaggio di “piezas enterizas”.

Bu çalışmada, tarihi yapılarda kullanılan temel harç malzemeleri sınıflandırılmış ve literatürdeki tarihi yapı harç özellikleri ışığında başta bağlayıcı, agrega ve katkı malzemeleri olmak üzere her malzeme grubu detaylı olarak incelenmiştir. Onarım harçlarında yardımcı bağlayıcı olarak değerlendirilebilecek ve ülkemizde erişilebilir doğal ve yapay puzolanların onarım çalışmalarında kullanılabilmesi bağlamında harca kazandırdıkları fiziksel ve mekanik özellikler literatürdeki deneysel çalışmalara dayanarak ortaya koyulmuştur.

This paper presents an assessment of the capacity and enhancement of the seismic performance of a historical masonry structure in Plomari, a town on the south coast of Lesbos island in Greece. Owing to uncertainties regarding the properties of the material and the effectiveness of the members in providing lateral resistance, the study was particularly challenging. In addition, the fact that the structure consisted of a variety of structural element types, e.g., unreinforced masonry from natural stones, timber-framed masonry (with burned clay masonry units), and timber girders, while lacking horizontal diaphragms, introduced complexities to the response of the structure in both directions. In the design of the retrofit, the need to preserve the building's architectural and historical value by minimizing interventions posed several problems. To solve them, conventional as well as state-of-the-art strengthening methods are proposed. Moreover, the procedures of these methods are in accordance with the Greek seismic design code of 1959 and European standards (Eurocodes) related to earthquake-resistant masonry as well as guidelines for the design of timber and reinforced concrete. Seismic analyses of the structure were carried out with two different methods (statically applied load and time history analysis) for comparison. The results verify the improvement in its behavior in response to earthquakes as a result of the proposed strengthening methods.

China's move towards western models of construction is documented by an account of the inconspicuous brickwork of Shanghai – one of the earliest western construction methods introduced into modern China. A series of questions are raised, based on extensive fieldwork. This article records the study of printed resources set within the broader context of circulating western knowledge in China, and summarises types of literature important for construction studies. The paper considers three Chinese books to help explore the sources of western masonry and reveal hitherto un-noted facts.
The paper concludes, for the first time, that the simple technology of Victorian brick masonry was a principal source and antecedent of modern Shanghai brickwork. Distinct from the tradition of transmitting construction-related technology by oral instruction, textbooks, handbooks and manuals constituted a new, and powerful means for the dissemination of technical knowledge in modern China. The interpretation of western technology appears to have been selective in Shanghai; a typical example is the brick bonding methods independent of closer bricks compared to English construction. Interestingly, Chinese authors did not fully adopt western construction modes, and old Chinese knowledge was incorporated into new systems of construction, greatly conditioned by material problems, as this study reveals. The spread of construction technology knowledge involved broad cross-field networks in and across Shanghai, the complexity of which suggests a shift of knowledge systems, rather than a direct transfer of building technology based on western construction methods.

This study discusses Diba’i House; a residential building that was constructed in 1914 in the old town of Ramallah. It investigates the significance, values and integrity of this house. Then, it talks about the legislations that are used to deal with such buildings.
The second chapter talks about the history of this house and its development over time, and it states the current condition of the building. It also introduce a plan for documentation.
Finally, the study suggests actions in the short and long term in order to safeguard the house and protect it from collapse.
The study cites various materials, and rely on site visits held to the site with various specialists.

This paper moves from a Phd thesis, focussing on the transformation process of Saint Saba complex in Rome and on its protection and conservation issues. Within the research, an important role has been played by masonries direct analysis. Saint Saba masonries are mostly made of brick and have been investigated through features identification, wall distribution and stratigraphic relations. Moreover, direct observations results have been merged with archival sources, survey data, geometrical and proportional considerations. To complete the study, also architectural features have been taken into account. A further attention has lightened specific values related to materials that constitute masonries. These values mainly refer to the different functions that, either the single buildings or the whole complex, have been assuming through time.

This document presents partial results of a much broader research project that has recognized historical and technical aspects pertaining to a set of 34 historic brick arch bridges, 20 of which still exist, all with diverse geometric characteristics and singular dimensions. The methodological process is exposed as carried out with three of them and conclusions are presented, which can be extended to almost the totality of the cases studied for the purpose of offering new analysis alternatives to professionals interested in the rehabilitation and conservation of the Colombian architectural and engineering patrimony.

The paper discusses stratigraphic evidences and interpretations on the church of Santo Stefano of Manciano in Umbria. Through new archaeological analyses and the most updated list of written sources, the paper offers a detailed overview on the architectural evolution of this structure and the reasons behind its building phases: from the 11th century foundation of the present architectural palimpsest, to its enlargement around 1200 and its wide 15th-century reconstructions.

Quadripartite roofing systems in Malta
Paper 2
The Chronology of the Maltese Quadripartite rib vault in the c.1500-1660

This paper will seek to discuss the findings and conclusions of the dissertation entitled Quadripartite ribbed roofing systems of buildings in Malta dating to the early days of the Order (1530 – c.1660) submitted to the Art History at the University of Malta in 2016.