Modal Analysis of the Tower of the Nations in Naples

Abstract eng:
Seismic risk reduction is a fundamental task in earthquake prone regions. It affects also historical structures, which are characterized by a high degree of uncertainty due to their unique structural schemes and to uncertainties about geometry and materials which make accurate structural analyses and assessment of the effective behaviour of the structure in its operational conditions difficult. In the last thirty years several techniques aimed at the experimental evaluation of the dynamic characteristics of structures have been developed. As historical structures are concerned, output-only modal parameter identification techniques are certainly of interest and can prevent damages to constructions and artefacts, because they are fast and cheap and imply a minimum interference with the normal use of the structure. Identified modal parameters, representative of the structural behaviour under operational conditions, can be used to validate or update finite element models. Thus, combination between numerical models and experimental measures offers interesting opportunities in the fields of vibration and seismic protection of strategic or historical constructions. In this paper the main results of dynamic tests carried out in order to identify modal properties of an important historical structure such as the Tower of the Nations, located into the Mostra D’Oltremare in Naples, are reported, pointing out the adopted data processing procedures. Test results are then compared with those ones obtained by numerical analyses.

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