Dynamic behaviour of the carillon tower in Castel San Pietro, Italy

Azzara Rm, Girardi M, Padovani C, Pellegrini D

Masonry bell towers  Dynamic monitoring  Bell swinging  Dynamic identification  Model updating 

The paper presents the experimental investigations conducted on the carillon tower of the Santissimo Crocifisso Sanctuary in Castel San Pietro (Bologna, Italy) and the analysis of data collected by velocimeters and accelerometers installed on the structure. The main goal is to assess the effects of the swinging bells on the dynamic behaviour of the tower. The paper's novelty relies on the kind of structure monitored, and the approach followed. The structure is a rare example of a carillon tower, subjected to a careful measurement campaign never carried out before. Moreover, the experimental results are complemented by numerical simulations of the dynamic behaviour of the tower subjected to the action of a swinging bell.