The 12th International Conference on Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions (SAHC 2021) took place from September 29 to October 1, 2021, after a series of successful editions started in Barcelona in 1995 and 1998 (Spain) and subsequently celebrated in Guimarães (Portugal), Padua (Italy), New Delhi (India), Bath (UK), Shanghai (China), Wroclaw (Poland), Mexico City (Mexico), Leuven (Belgium), and Cusco (Peru). The SAHC conference series is intended to offer a forum allowing engineers, architects, and all experts to share and disseminate state-of-the-art knowledge and novel contributions on principles, methods, and technologies for the study and conservation of heritage structures. The 12th edition aimed at creating a new opportunity for the exchange and discussion of innovative concepts, technologies, and practical experiences in the field.
More than 350 experts participated in the conference, which was celebrated online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference focused on the following topics: history of construction and building technology; inspection methods, non-destructive techniques and laboratory testing; numerical modeling and structural analysis; structural health monitoring; repair and strengthening strategies and techniques; conservation of 20th-century architectural heritage; seismic analysis and retrofit; vulnerability and risk analysis, and interdisciplinary projects and case studies.
This special issue, including 15 selected articles, provides an overview of the contents of the conference. The selected articles, significantly revised and extended by their authors, cover a large variety of subjects, including the analysis of landslides on historical churches (Ferrero et al. Citation2022), the assessment of seismic risk in masonry towers (Mehrotra et al. Citation2022; Spinelli et al. Citation2022), the influence of hygrothermal effects on a large dome (Coz-Díaz et al. Citation2022), digital documentation based on the integration of survey techniques (Aguilar et al. Citation2022; Masciotta et al. Citation2022), seismic strengthening innovative techniques (Damiani et al. Citation2022), constitutive modeling of masonry structures (Petracca et al. Citation2022), advanced crack pattern recognition (Rozsas et al. Citation2022), numerical modeling of joints and connections in masonry structures (Fusco et al. Citation2022; Mousavian, Bagi, and Casapulla Citation2022), the stability of metro underground vaults (Moreno Regan, Bourgeois, and Douroux Citation2022), testing methods for timber members (Valluzzi et al. Citation2022, Zielińska et al. Citation2022), and seismic damage scenarios on clustered buildings (Formisano et al. Citation2022).
We hope that the readers will enjoy this special issue and invite all interested experts to attend the next SAHC Conference on September 12 to 15, 2023, in Kyoto, Japan.
References
- Aguilar, R., S. Huaranga, P. Pórcel, and G. Zavala. 2022. Seismic vulnerability assessment of Andean constructions: Structural typification of historical churches using digital technologies. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–14. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2114863.
- Coz-Díaz, J. J., A. Lozano Martínez-Luegas, M. Alonso-Martínez, and F. P. Álvarez-Rabanal. 2022. Non-linear hygrothermal structural analysis of the elliptical dome of the church in the Universidad Laboral, Gijon, Spain. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–10. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2089070.
- Damiani, N., Miglietta, M. Guerrini, G. and Graziotti, F. 2022. Numerical assessment of the seismic performance of a modular timber retrofit solution for unreinforced masonry buildings. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–20. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2106461.
- Ferrero, C., R. Berardi, C. Calderini, L. Cambiaggi, and R. Vecchiatini. 2022. A geotechnical analysis to assess the effect of slow-moving landslides on historic masonry churches. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–20. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2125354.
- Formisano, A., and N. Chieffo. 2022. Seismic damage scenarios induced by site effects on masonry clustered buildings: A case study in South Italy. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–22. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2104143.
- Fusco, D., D. Addessi, F. Messali, J. G. Rots, and S. Pampanin. 2022. An analytical and numerical approach for shear failure of pier-wall connections in typical Dutch URM buildings. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–20. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2122762.
- Masciotta, M. G., L. J. Sanchez-Aparicio, D. V. Oliveira, and D. Gonzalez-Aguilera. 2022. Integration of laser scanning technologies and 360° photography for the digital documentation and management of cultural heritage buildings. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–20. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2069062.
- Mehrotra, A., A. Liew, P. Block, and M. J. DeJong. 2022. An integrated modelling approach for the seismic collapse assessment of masonry towers. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–24. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2139207.
- Moreno Regan, O., E. Bourgeois, and J. F. Douroux. 2022. On the stability of underground masonry vaults: The case of the Mairie d’Ivry station of the Paris metro. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–22. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2108354.
- Mousavian, E., K. Bagi, and C. Casapulla. 2022. Torsion-shear behaviour at interlocking joints: Calibration of discrete element-deformable models using experimental and numerical analyses. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–18. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2101034.
- Petracca, M., G. Camata, E. Spacone, and L. Pelà. 2022. Efficient constitutive model for continuous micro-modeling of masonry structures. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–13. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2124133.
- Rozsas, A., A. Slobbe, W. Huizinga, M. Kruithof, K. A. Pillai, K. Kleijn, and G. Giardina. 2022. Siamese convolutional neural networks to quantify crack pattern similarity in masonry facades. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–23. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2134062.
- Spinelli, P., L. Salvatori, R. Lancellotta, and M. Betti. 2022. Preliminary assessment of the seismic risk of Giotto’s bell tower in florence. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–22. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2145527.
- Valluzzi, M. R., M. Drdacky, M. Kloiber, and F. Casarin. 2022. Comparative evaluation of investigation testing methods in timber elements considering moisture content. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–19. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2142698.
- Zielińska, M., and M. Rucka. 2022. Assessment of wooden beams from historical buildings using ultrasonic transmission tomography. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 1–13. doi:10.1080/15583058.2022.2086505.