Author(s)

W. Salvatore, S. Bennati & M. Della Maggiora

Abstract

On the collapse of a masonry tower subjected to earthquake loadings W. Salvatore, S. Bennati & M. Della Maggiora Department of Structural Engineering, University of Pisa, Italy Abstract Some early results of a research study on the behaviour of masonry towers under the seismic actions are illustrated. The results regard analysis of the so-called "Tower of Matilde", the bell tower of the Santa Maria e San Genesio Cathedral in the medieval town of San Miniato, near Pisa (Italy). Over the centuries, this tower has undergone numerous consolidation operations and modifications: originally built as a watch tower within the medieval city walls, it was finally incorporated as a bell tower into the Cathedral. Its current layout makes it particularly susceptible to the dynamic actions consequent to the motion of the bells [I] [2] [3], and, probably, to seismic actions as well. Such a hypothesis seems to be to confirmed by the results of these first linear and collapse analyses, performed by considering ea

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