Sustainable strategies for knowledge of built heritage: graphic methods for vaulted and arched masonry structures

Traditional materials and construction techniques are of central importance for knowledge and, subsequently, the protection of existing building heritage, including historical and monumental sites. The evaluation of the static consistency of existing structures can be carried out in a coherent and accurate manner only by starting from an in-depth knowledge of the geometric, physical and mechanical characteristics of the building’s structural elements. In recent years, we have witnessed an exponential increase in the use of advanced technologies for graphic representation and subsequent structural analysis, especially in the study of existing buildings. For a real and concrete application of the results, these representations must be critical and functional for understanding the building rather than merely serving as graphic virtuosity. In this framework, the graphic methodologies to be applied, in support of digital data, in simplified procedures for a preliminary knowledge of the buildings, their technological configuration and static behaviors have been studied in depth. It is important to point out that the historic built heritage, unlike the modern built heritage, is characterized by the strong presence of vaulted and arched elements, with columns and piers of various shapes and materials; for this reason, models and procedures of graphic analysis based on the limit analysis and the theories of Jacques Heyman have been applied. The method is first applied and verified on a single historical monumental building to test its limits and potential and then applied to other case studies. The results show that the graphical and analytical analysis of structures is a valid and reliable tool for analyzing buildings in order to understand their structural behavior, since, even if the model is simplified, it is possible to obtain results that are strongly correlated with the behaviors of the structures and can guarantee good accuracy and adequate safety margins.