Stability of ancient masonry towers: Stress redistribution due to drying, carbonation, and creep

Daniele Ferretti, Zdene ̌k P. Baz ̌ant*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Extending the analysis of the evolution of pore humidity and carbonation presented in a preceding paper by Ferretti and Baz ̌ant, this paper analyzes the redistribution in time of vertical normal stresses across the multiple-leaf wall of ancient towers, using the example of collapsed Pavia Tower. It is shown that stress redistribution due to nonuniform shrinkage and nonuniform creep across the wall, including the additional redistribution due to cracking, produces in the masonry cladding of the wall very large compressive stresses that reach, after centuries, the level of compression strength of the cladding.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1389-1398
Number of pages10
JournalCement and Concrete Research
Volume36
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2006

Keywords

  • Creep
  • Diffusion
  • Humidity
  • Long-term performance
  • Tower

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Building and Construction
  • General Materials Science

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