Abstract
The Kingdom of Granada occupied the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, what today would be the current Spanish provinces of Granada, Malaga and Almeria. Having succeeded the Nasrid kingdom of Granada (1238–1492), it remained a geographical and administrative unit until 1834, defended from the advancement of Castilian troops by means of a large network of watchtowers located principally along its inland border. Following the Castilian conquest of Granada, the extensive coastline was also strengthened with a network of towers and fortifications that were progressively adapted to house artillery. A technical survey focusing on the characteristics of their geometrics and construction, as well as their performance in a series of non-destructive tests, such as ambient vibration testing, was undertaken to study the towers’ mechanical strength against both gravitational and seismic loads. The results propose a numerical estimate that defines the fundamental frequency of this type of structure, which in turn can be used to approximate the mechanical properties of the masonry. Such a precise definition based on objective data enables accurate and rigorous numerical analysis of this defensive architecture, thus reducing uncertainties. Furthermore, slenderness is found to be a relevant parameter for adjusting fundamental frequency and for analysing the towers’ historical evolution, enabling their initial height and number of levels to be estimated.
Highlights
Rehabilitating any building requires inspection prior to intervention in order to collect as much information as possible about existing pathologies or damage
The analysis reveals that tower slenderness decreased over the centuries: Andalusian towers built built prior to the 16th century have a higher slenderness index than those built in later times
A correlation can be established between the natural frequency obtained from ambient vibration testing and the average values obtained for E using masonry quality index (MQI) (Figure 22)
Summary
Rehabilitating any building requires inspection prior to intervention in order to collect as much information as possible about existing pathologies or damage. A precise diagnosis can be made to facilitate taking appropriate decisions about its restoration. Such analysis and diagnosis of the state of preservation is fundamental in the case of listed heritage buildings, especially of its structural safety. In order to ensure its structural performance is correctly assessed, the materials used in the various elements that provide its resistance, as well as the structure’s overall behaviour must be characterised.
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