Preliminary study of an ancient earthquake-proof construction technique monitoring via an innovative structural health monitoring system

Abstract

The historical and cultural heritage analysis of the Italian territory is of primary importance since this region is one of the richest in the world and can enrich our knowledge in different fields. In fact, in the field of structural engineering, a new discovery was made in Calabria, in the south of Italy. By investigating various architectural treatises related to earthquake-proof constructions, new knowledge was gained through analysing buildings constructed with fictile tubules bricks. Among them is an unprecedented anti-seismic construction technique patented by Pasquale Frezza, which has been widely used in southern Calabria. To prevent the collapse of the attendant structures, an innovative method for monitoring and obtaining the mechanical properties of these structures in real time while minimising the measurement uncertainty is proposed in this paper.