The Corpus Domini Bell Tower: Conservation and Safety

Abstract

The restoration project of the monumental bell tower of the Basilica del SS. Corpo di Cristo di Maddaloni stems from the desire to meet declared structural rehabilitation needs and architectural restoration of the monument. The project aims primarily to return static safety and to preserve the Campanile architectural quality, the work of acknowledged cultural interest. Masonry towers constitute a huge amount of the Italian built heritage. Therefore, their safety assessment against earthquakes has a significant social importance. They are unique architectural typologies, usually conceived in ancient time exclusively to withstand vertical loads. On the other hand, the recent national and international codes require the actual ultimate behavior of these structures under strong horizontal excitations to be deeply studied, encouraging the use of sophisticated non-linear methods. The mechanisms of damage and collapse of this type of structures are varied and depend on both the geometry (slenderness) and the structural characteristics (quality of masonry walls and constraints). The development of mechanical models able of analyzing the failure mechanisms for all types of bell towers is not always viable, so it is suggested to carry out specific checks too. This paper presents the restoration project and the results of seismic analysis carried out on a seventeen-century masonry tower in Italy, the “Corpus Domini” bell tower in Maddaloni (Italy).