Seismic assessment of historical masonry towers in the north-east region of Italy

In the present paper a comprehensive seismic vulnerability assessment of several historical masonry towers, mainly built during the medieval age and located in the North-East region of Italy, is carried out by means of simplified and advanced FE approaches. Three-dimensional finite element models of the masonry towers are created on the basis of geometrical data deduced from both existing available documentation and in-situ surveys. Nonlinear static (pushover) and dynamic full 3D analyses are carried out to investigate the seismic performance of the towers. A comparison between non-linear dynamic analyses and non-linear static procedures, even at a global level, can provide useful information about the seismic vulnerability of such type of structures. Numerical results provide an accurate understanding of the behavior of the towers under horizontal loads and highlight the effects of some geometrical features, such as slenderness, thickness of the perimeter walls, presence of perforations, internal vaults, irregularities and inclination.