Post-earthquake diagnostic investigation of a historic masonry tower

The paper describes the methodology applied to assess the state of preservation of the tallest historic tower in Mantua, the Gabbia Tower, after the Italian earthquakes of May 2012. An extensive experimental programme − including geometric survey, visual inspections, ambient vibration tests, sonic and flat-jack tests − has been planned and carried out to support the future preservation actions of the tower. The paper focuses especially on the outcomes of on-site survey and dynamic tests and highlights the effectiveness of integrating the information obtained from these tests to assess the structural condition and seismic vulnerability of the tower. The adopted experimental methodology, generally suitable as a prompt diagnostic procedure, successfully detected the local vulnerabilities as well as the overall state of preservation of the tower and addressed the subsequent monitoring phase.