Dynamic identification of historic masonry towers through an expeditious and no-contact approach: application to the “Torre del Mangia” in Siena (Italy)

The paper presents a synergic and multidisciplinary approach where laser scanner survey, radar interferometric monitoring and finite element (FE) numerical modeling are used for expeditious and no-contact dynamic identification of monumental masonry towers. The methodology is applied to a real case of great historical interest: the “Torre del Mangia” (Mangia’s tower) in Siena (Italy). The tower geometry was acquired through Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) techniques. The tower oscillations were detected using an interferometric radar in “Piazza del Campo”, the square facing the Mangia’s Tower, along three alignments, and movement of the structure at several heights were recorded. A FE model, built on the basis of the geometry acquired through the TLS, was used to interpret and verify the physical meaning of the experimental results. Through the discussion of the case study the paper shows that the proposed approach can be considered as an effective and expeditious method for assessing the dynamic behavior of monumental buildings (and to plan interventions) on territorial scale.