Author
A CARPINTERI, P BOCCA, G LACIDOGNA, A GRAZZINI and D MASERA
Department of Structural Engineering and Geotechnics, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

Abstract
The long-term behaviour of brickwork is a key factor in the analyses performed in order to assess the damage conditions of historical masonry buildings. Creep behaviour in the masonry of three medieval towers in Alba and the Royal Palace of Venaria Reale (all in Piedmont, Italy) is analysed.
Test pieces made of the original brickwork and strengthening mortar were tested under cyclic loading in order to accelerate static creep and to forecast the corresponding creep behaviour of masonry structures under static long-time loading. By means of Acoustic Emission (AE) monitoring it is possible to estimate the amount of energy released during fracture propagation.
Damage evolution during fatigue compressive loading, in terms of measured strains and the AE counting number, can be divided into three stages; fatigue life can be predicted from the slope of the AE counting number rate diagram. A special methodology has been developed to predict the remaining service life of creep damaged masonry structures.