Abstract
Mortar quality is a fundamental parameter to take into account when studying the structural behavior of masonry, especially under seismic actions. Separation between the leaves of rubble masonry can occur, inducing the partial or total collapse of the construction. A good quality mortar is essential to delay/prevent the separation of leaves, but often, especially in ancient building with a cultural value, mortars have low binder capabilities. The paper presents an experimental investigation on mortar specimens taken from buildings of a little municipality in Marche region, Arquata del Tronto, heavily damaged by recent earthquakes in Central Italy (2016-2017). Both diagnostic techniques as X-Ray diffraction, Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy and calcimetry, and mechanical test as compression tests were carried out in order to correlate the obtained values with the performance of the original masonry.
Highlights
The damage caused by the 2016-2017 Central Italy earthquakes to architectural heritage in the municipalities of Marche region were very high
From the macro-seismic point of view the municipality of Arquata, as well as the other localities in the same area, was historically subjected to significant earthquakes interspersed with periods of seismic inactivity: as shown in Table 1, in which only recent seismic events with a level of damage greater than or equal to the VI MCS are reported, it is possible to note that a long period of calm goes from the shock on May 12th, 1730 (VII-VIII MCS) to that on July 4th, 1916 (VII MCS)
FTIR and Calcimetry confirmed the presence of carbonates and silicates and that of dolomite in some specimens, while other measurements revealed the presence of low concentrations of soluble salts
Summary
The damage caused by the 2016-2017 Central Italy earthquakes to architectural heritage in the municipalities of Marche region were very high. In Arquata del Tronto, a small town in the province of Ascoli Piceno, the earthquakes caused collapses and damage of churches, monuments and cultural heritage, as well of buildings in small neighboring villages. From the macro-seismic point of view the municipality of Arquata, as well as the other localities in the same area, was historically subjected to significant earthquakes interspersed with periods of seismic inactivity: as shown, in which only recent seismic events with a level of damage greater than or equal to the VI MCS are reported, it is possible to note that a long period of calm goes from the shock on May 12th, 1730 (VII-VIII MCS) to that on July 4th, 1916 (VII MCS). The Italian Army and the firefighters started the debris removal and the real-
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