Structural survey for the sismic vulnerability mitigation.

Abstract The survey is an important investigative tool of monuments and plays an essential role in the conservation of architectural heritage. An accurate knowledge of geometry and construction techniques of a building through structural survey forms the basis for seismic vulnerability evaluation and therefore of the consolidation project. The paper presents the case study of Sant’Antonio Abate church in Rieti, designed by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola in 1570 and built on a pre-existence after the architect's death in 1573. A 3D laser-scanner survey integrated with a digital photogrammetry app allowed to reconstruct the geometry of the church, highlighting the structural behavior of macro-elements that compose it. The study of archival documents together with the empirical analysis of the church brought into evidence construction technology and techniques allowing to distinguishing between the current status from that previous restoration works, which took place in 1989-90 and in 1994-95. Analysis of mechanisms that could affect different macro-elements, verifications carried out using linear kinematics analysis and a critical study of the construction technology made it possible to evaluate the seismic vulnerability of the church. This meticulous knowledge path based on the structural survey led to the development of a project that, according to the principle of minimum intervention, was only limited to necessary works for seismic vulnerability mitigation.