In Situ Investigation of the Mechanical Strength of the Mortars: The Case of the Vaults of the Modena Cathedral

A minimal and preservative investigation revealed that the mechanical strength of mortars in the 12th-century Modena Cathedral's vaults varies significantly, correlating with crack patterns and damage severity. The study used on-site visual inspections and micro-destructive testing to differentiate between repair mortars from different historic periods, finding low resistance values that differed for lime mortar and gypsum. These findings were crucial in designing a minimal and reversible strengthening intervention for the cathedral following seismic damage in 2012.

Colla, C. (2014). In Situ Investigation of the Mechanical Strength of the Mortars: The Case of the Vaults of the Modena Cathedral. Key Engineering Materials, 624, 170–177. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.624.170