Field team survey of a school in Falerone (FM)

 

Translation from Italian to English by Elide Pantoli (University of California, San Diego)

Date:                                 August 30th 2016

Building typology:         Load-bearing masonry

Municipality:                   Falerone (FM) – Don Bosco high-school

Epicentral distance:      [48 km]

Description of the structure:

This building is a former convent. It is located on a steep slope, and it is composed by three stories above ground (no floor below ground). The structure has load-bearing masonry walls, it was built in the XIV century, and it is composed by two units: the church and the school/museum. Exterior walls are built with a regular pattern of bricks, while interior walls have different types of masonry walls (sometimes irregular), which were constructed in later years. The non-thrusting roof is in concrete and hollow brick clay, while there are three different types of floors: vault with and without chains, and beams with semi-rigid base.

Description of damage:

Visual inspection revealed significant damage to large sections of the vertical load bearing walls (masonry piers) and nonstructural partition walls. Inspections revealed severe damage and partial collapse of vaults (or vaulted false ceilings) and arches, detachment of plaster and falling of internal objects. Evidence of foundation settlements was not observed. Damage to the top of the bell tower (summit cone) created great danger on the outside of the building.

The church in this same building complex showed evidence of structural damage (e.g. detachment of the facade) and nonstructural damage (e.g. shattering of the organ).

 

Figure 1. Damage to masonry piers built in later years.

Figure 2. Damage to partition walls.	Figure 3. Damage to spandrels.
Figure 4. Plaster damage.	Figure 5. Damage of vaulted false ceilings.
Figure 6. Detachment of the facade and shattering of the organ.	Figure 7. Exterior danger created by the damage at the top of the bell tower.