Advanced numerical analyses on two historical masonry structures in Finale Emilia (Italy) severely damaged by the May 2012 Emilia Romagna seismic event

In this paper, a preliminary numerical study on two masonry historical structures, namely the masonry clock-tower and the castle in Finale Emilia, symbols of the devastating earthquakes occurred in Emilia Romagna, Italy in May 2012, are presented. In the paper, some different numerical models are critically compared, in order to have an insight into the causes at the base of the collapse of the structures. They include nonlinear static (pushover) and dynamic analyses. At this aim, full three-dimensional (3D) detailed finite element models (FEM) are adopted, starting from the available documentation at disposal (photos and existing drawings). From numerical results, both the role played by the actual geometry and the insufficient resistance of the constituent materials are envisaged. In all cases, the numerical analyses provide a valuable picture of active damage mechanisms, giving useful hints for the reconstruction.