Statics of Historic Masonry Constructions

Book excerpt: Masonry constructions are the great majority of the buildings in Europe’s historical centres and the most important monuments in its architectural heritage and the demand for their safety assessments and restoration projects is pressing and constant. Nevertheless, there is a lack of a widely accepted approach to studying the statics of masonry structures. This book aims to help fill these gaps by presenting a new comprehensive, unified theory of statics of masonry constructions. The book, result of thirty years of research and professional experience, through an interdisciplinary approach combining engineering, architecture, advances from the simple to the complex and analyses statics of a large variety of masonry constructions, as arches, domes, cross and cloister vaults, piers, towers, cathedrals and buildings under seismic actions.