On the Behavior of Fictile Tubules Masonry in Mediterranean Seismic Areas: Application on Masonry Arch

The historic centers of many Italian cities are integral parts of the Country’s cultural heritage, and guaranteeing their conservation over time is paramount. Many constructions are characterized by building techniques which are not well-known and still have to be studied. In particular, one technique employing clay fictile tubules is here scrutinized through historical studies, experimental characterization, and numerical investigations. This technique is typical of the Mediterranean area and Southern Italy, and dates back to Roman and early Christian times. Walls, domes and vaulted structures with different geometries were built with such technique, which allowed for the creation of modular construction elements in potteries. Relevant historical building issues are first addressed in detail, then a comprehensive experimental investigation on constituent materials is presented, with a numerical data fitting useful for structural purposes. Finally, the results of nonlinear static analyses performed on a masonry arch are described. Full 3D heterogeneous properties and a homogenized approach exhibiting softening in tension and compression were used in such analyses.