A Structural Analysis of the Modena Cathedral

Historical monuments, by their own features and evolution over time, represent a unicum characterized by large uncertainties. With the aim of preserving cultural heritage for future generations, the assessment of the static conditions of the monuments is a crucial point. In order to perform a robust and reliable evaluation of the structural behavior and to eventually forecast possible evolution of the safety level, it is of fundamental importance to carry out a comprehensive study by taking into account contributions coming from different fields. The aim of this article is to present a preliminary assessment of the structural "health" of the Cathedral of Modena (Italy) making use of a multi-disciplinary multi-analysis approach, capable of providing an integrated knowledge of the monument. Different analyses (simple, but more reliable limit schematizations, and more complex, but too much sensitive to uncertainties, computer-based models) have been conducted on the global structure of the masonry fabric as well as on the local response of the single masonry walls and other significant structural elements, in order to identify the main static vulnerabilities.