Basilica of
S. Francesco d’Assisi
LOCATION
Assisi, Italy
CLIENT
Italian Ministry of
Cultural Heritage
CONTRACTOR
Consorzio Assisi
Edilizia e Restauro
DESIGN
A. Paolucci
C. Centroni
G. Croci
P. Rocchi
INSTALLATION
1999
• Type of structure
Masonry church
• Anti-seismic devices
- type and quantityg
N. 47 shape memory alloy devices
N. 34 shock transmission units
- characteristics
Design force from 17 to 52 kN for shape memory alloy devices
Maximum displacements from ± 8 to ± 25 mm
g
Maximum force from 220 to 300 kN for shock transmission units
Displacement ± 20 mm
u
•
Description
During the earthquake that struck the Italian central region of Umbria
in September 1997, the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi suffered
heavy damages inside (partial collapse of the frescoed vault) as well as
outside (detachment of numerous stones from the tympanum of the left
transept, caused by the roof’s pounding).
to the reopening of the upper church on the 28th of November, 1999. As
for the latter, two different types of seismic devices were implemented.
Shape memory alloy devices were used to connect the roof to the walls
of the two tympana of the transepts (pictures below). That was the
its earthquake resistance.
Shock transmission units (pictured on the side) connect the different
parts of the steel truss installed along the perimeter of the Basilica’s
•
References
Croci G. (1998): The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi after the earthquake
of 26 September 1997. MONUMENT-98, Workshop on Seismic
Performance of Monuments, Lisbon.
Castellano M. G., Martelli A. (2000):
alloy ties on the seismic behaviour of historical masonry buildings.
“Bridging Large Spans - From antiquity to the present”, International
Symposium IASS 2000, Istanbul.
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