Dynamic Testing of a Masonry Bell Tower Equipped with AMD System and Strengthened with FRCM
摘要
The topic of the seismic vulnerability of existing masonry bell towers is undoubtedly of paramount importance, considering the wide diffusion of these structures throughout European countries; nevertheless, despite the significant damages and collapses occurred even in low/moderate seismic events, there is still a lack of scientific experimental research concerning the dynamic response of these structural typologies. In order to reduce the vulnerability of masonry bell towers and improve their seismic behavior, the company ISAAC proposes an innovative “hybrid” approach, which involves the installation of Active Mass Damper (AMD) devices combined with “traditional” methods of repair/strengthening (e.g. FRCM in this case) located in some strategic points of the structure. The aim is to reduce the seismic demand on the tower through the benefits of AMD devices and, at the same time, to increase the masonry capacity locally, avoiding the impact of overall retrofit interventions, which are often unfeasible for reasons related to the conservation of the architectural/monumental heritage. In order to evaluate the seismic performance of the proposed enhancement system, an experimental campaign of dynamic shaking-table tests on a full-scale (12 m high) brick-masonry bell tower, representative of common historical solutions of northern Italy, has been carried out. A first phase involving the execution of dynamic tests on the bell tower with only the AMD device installed has been followed by a second phase with the addition of FRCM retrofit of the belfry. The shaking-table tests allowed to evaluate the benefit of the proposed systems in terms of seismic response.