Brunelleschi's Dome: Analysis of Deformations due to Thermal Loads

The Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence is affected by a system of cracks that, appeared as soon as the monument was completed, have been evolving during time. The most serious of these (passing through both the two masonry domes constituting the monument) run a vertical direction and involve the webs placed on the four pillars that support the Dome and the tambour. These four main cracks, located in the centre line of the above mentioned webs, start from the extrados of the pillars and they extend up to about 2/3 of the Dome height. Moreover, other cracks, even though smaller, can be observed in the remaining webs and in the corner between the webs....