Tower of Montecchio Stress Analysis of Southeast Wall

Abstract

A stress analysis is performed herein on the southeast wall of the tower in the medieval fortress Montecchio, which is situated in Tuscany, Italy. The analysis is performed by the finite-element method, and the effects of the stresses caused by removing two large cracks as well as a window are studied. Stress states due to gravitational and wind loads at five significant points in the tower are plotted using Mohr's circle and compared to a predicted failure envelope modeled by the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. Results of the analysis show that while the smaller crack and the window do not appear to require immediate attention, it is essential that the larger crack be repaired in order for the stresses in the tower to be reduced to a level that is acceptable by the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. Without any repairs, further deterioration of building materials in the tower will lead to failure.