Structural Assessment and Strengthening of a Historic Masonry Orthodox Church

Abstract

This study provides insight into the structural assessment, diagnosis, and strengthening of the medieval church of Tazlău Monastery in Piatra Neamț, Romania. The first part of the paper briefly presents the wider context of strengthening and preserving heritage churches and monastic buildings and describes the architectural setting and the structural features of the traditional Romanian Orthodox churches. The second part of the paper is a case study related to the rehabilitation of a medieval heritage church, which is the paramount building of a larger monastic complex. Erected in 1496, the church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary closely follows the medieval traditional Orthodox patterns from both architectural and structural points of view. Structural assessment and diagnosis revealed that degradations were induced and developed throughout the life of the structure due to approximately 24 earthquakes (estimated at over 6.0 magnitude) having endangered the structural safety of the building and the mural iconography. After the structural diagnosis, a combined and complex method of strengthening consisting of both grouting and introducing steel rods in vertically drilled galleries along the entire height of the walls was selected. The main advantage of applying this combined strengthening strategy was a remarkable enhancement of the structural seismic performance of the church building.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cost-Efficient 3D Printed Concrete Reinforced with Polypropylene Fibers

“…While 3DCP has shown promise in building construction, it has the potential to revolutionize the restoration and reinforcement of historical and aging masonry structures. Our goal is to develop techniques and materials that enhance the structural integrity and durability of these heritage buildings while preserving their architectural significance [28][29][30].…”

Review of Out-of-Plane Strengthening Techniques of Unreinforced Masonry Walls

“…Basalt and glass, as the typical textiles used in the TRM strengthening technique, were used for out-of-plane loading of masonry walls, thus increasing the shear bond capacity of masonry walls with FRCM systems [79][80][81]. Whatever the strengthening method adopted for the strengthening of masonry walls, confinement pressure was increased, resulting in an increase in the compressive strength of masonry walls.…”