Hole Drilling Technique for On-Site Stress Measurements of Masonry Piers: Analysis of the Santa Maria del Mar Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

The construction of the Santa Maria del Mar cathedral dates back to 1329. The cathedral represents an excellent example of the Gothic style in Catalonia. Because of the observed damage on the piers of the main nave, special attention was focused on determining the piers’ stress states. During a research campaign, the resulting stresses are determined numerically as well as experimentally based on a minimally destructive technique called the hole drilling technique. The technique allows determination of the principal stresses and their direction in stone masonry. The experimental results are compared with the outcome of a comparative numerical analysis. The quality of the experimental technique and the usefulness of the on-site methodology in the framework of cultural heritage sites are presented and discussed. The aim of the paper is the final corroboration of the applicability of the hole drilling technique in masonry structures. The technique has been previously checked in the Altes Museum (Berlin), the Saint Jakobs church at Leuven (Belgium), and the Tarazona cathedral (Spain).