Statics of Historic Masonry Constructions (Springer Series in Solid and Structural Mechanics (1))

Masonry constructions are the great majority of the buildings in Europe’s historical centres and the most important monuments in its architectural heritage and the demand for their  safety assessments and restoration projects is pressing and constant. Nevertheless, there is a lack of a widely accepted approach to studying the statics of masonry structures. This book aims to help fill these gaps by presenting a new comprehensive, unified theory of statics of masonry constructions.

 The book,  result of thirty years of research and professional experience, through an interdisciplinary approach combining engineering, architecture,  advances from the simple to the complex and  analyses  statics of a large variety of masonry constructions, as arches, domes, cross and cloister vaults, piers, towers, cathedrals and buildings under seismic actions.

Masonry constructions are the great majority of the buildings in Europe’s historic centres and the most important monuments in its architectural heritage. Given the age of much of these constructions, the demand for safety assessments and restoration projects is pressing and constant. This book aims to help fill this demand presenting a comprehensive new statics of masonry constructions.

The book, result of thirty years of research and professional experience, gives the fundamentals of statics of the masonry solid, then applied to the study of statics of arches, piers and vaults. Further, combining engineering and architecture and through an interdisciplinary approach, the book investigates the statical 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 and the Masonry Buildings under seismic actions.