Vulnerability Assessment of Unreinforced Masonry Churches Following the 2010–2011 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence

The 2010–2011 Canterbury, New Zealand earthquake sequence caused extensive damage to unreinforced masonry churches. A sample of 80 affected buildings was analysed and their performance statistically interpreted. Structural behaviour is described in terms of mechanisms affecting the so-called macro-elements, and damage probability matrices are computed. Regression models correlating mean damage level against macroseismic intensity are also developed for all observed mechanisms, improving the initial simple-linear formulations through use of multiple-linear regressions accounting for vulnerability modifiers, whose influence is evaluated via statistical procedures. Results presented herein will support the future development of predictive tools for decision-makers, also contributing to seismic vulnerability mitigation at a territorial scale.     

A non-invasive study of Roman Age mosaic glass tesserae by means of Raman spectroscopy

Ancient mosaic tesserae are a range of materials of very varied and complex nature, including pottery, stone and glass. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the analysis of all these kinds of materials. In the particular case of glasses, this technique can be used both for a study of surface weathering and for the characterization of bulk structure, but it has not yet been extensively used for the characterization of mosaic glass tesserae. We carried out Raman analyses on a set of Roman and Late Antiquity period mosaic glass samples, which allowed a good characterization of both the glass matrix and the crystalline inclusions. All the samples show the typical Raman signatures of soda-lime-silicate glasses. Several crystalline phases were also identified, being relics of raw materials used during the glass manufacturing process, such as quartz and feldspars, or linked to the glass color/opacification, such as bindheimite and cuprite. The analyses also led to the identification in some blue, turquoise and green tesserae of calcium antimonate, whose Raman signature has only recently been recognized in the scientific literature on mosaic glasses. Some emphasis is given to the analysis of red lead-containing tesserae, colored with Cu⁺ ions or even Cu⁰ (or Au⁰) metal nanoparticles. Samples with peculiar compositions, as well as “modern” (and restoration) samples, could quite easily be distinguished from the ancient ones by their Raman spectra.     

Identifying foreigners versus locals in a burial population from Nasca, Peru: an investigation using strontium isotope analysis

During the several thousand years of human occupation in the Nasca drainage on the south coast of Peru, population movement into and out of the region impacted the formation and organization of society, as well as contributed to major cultural transformations. This study identifies foreign versus local individuals through the investigation of burial practices and strontium isotope analysis of human remains from the sites of La Tiza and Pajonal Alto dating from the Early Intermediate Period through the Late Intermediate Period (A.D. 1–1476). Of the ten samples analyzed, two individuals dating to the Middle Horizon were identified as foreigners. One of these individuals was buried in a new elite tomb type providing additional evidence that the Wari state incorporated Nasca into its realm. Two headless individuals, one dating to Middle Nasca with clear evidence of decapitation, and another dating to the Late Intermediate Period who was likely decapitated, were both locals. This suggests the practice of decapitation took place among local groups, and that the practice of decapitation and the use of heads as ritual items or trophies may have continued later in time than previously thought.     

Comparative Seismic Risk Assessment of Basilica-type Churches

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the seismic risk assessment of a Basilica-type church according to the provisions of the Italian Guidelines. A comparison between the results obtained with local and global approaches is reported, based on a knowledge process aimed to characterize the geometric and mechanical parameters required for a reliable structural analysis. To perform the global analyses the finite element technique was employed, with proper assumptions to account for the nonlinear behavior of masonry. Illustrating a case study, the paper critically discusses about the employability of pushover analysis methods for the seismic assessment of basilica-type churches.     

Bearing capacity assessment of a 14th century arch bridge in Lecco (Italy)

The article presents the results of an experimental and numerical investigation on Azzone Visconti bridge, a 14th century arch bridge in Lecco (northern Italy). Starting from the historical data and from an extensive mechanical characterization of both the soil constituting the riverbed and of the masonry constituting the piers, the aim of the study is to investigate the bearing capacity of the bridge. A testing loading scheme defined according to the current Italian Code is adopted to check the structural behavior. A simplified finite element structural model was conceived and calibrated as a control tool to safely perform the experimental tests. Post-test nonlinear finite element analyses have allowed the prediction of the bridge bearing capacity and the definition of the bridge class according to the Italian regulations.     

The spectacle of the poor. Or: ‘Wow!! Awesome. Nice to know that people care!’

On the night of 14 November 2012, a police officer of the New York Police Department encountered a homeless person while performing his duties around Times Square. He gave him a pair of boots and while doing so, he was photographed by a tourist. The photo was posted on Facebook, receiving in a few days more than 1.6 million visits. The paper unfolds the reasons why this particular image and story have gone, as the media has put it, ‘viral’. The paper investigates the spaces that have emerged in the media elongation of DePrimo's practice of care and, introducing the notion of ‘spectacle of the poor’, it argues that this specific case simplifies the dominant western framings around matter of ‘caring for the poor’. The political and cultural consequences of these framings are investigated, and reflections on how to tackle them provided.