Title: Investigation on the 2010 Schola Armaturarum collapse in Pompeii

Authors: Nicola Augenti

Addresses: Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy

Abstract: The headquarters building of a military association named Schola Armaturarum and located in the archaeological site of Pompeii, Italy, suddenly collapsed on November 6, 2010. The structure was almost totally made of rubble masonry walls, some of which having important frescoes, and was partially reconstructed after the Second World War with a new roof composed of reinforced concrete ring beams and one-way joists. As the collapse induced a dramatic loss to the worldwide cultural heritage, the author was appointed by Judicial Authority to investigate the causes and responsibilities of that accident. This paper describes the phases of the investigation, providing detailed information on the structural configuration after collapse and the most probable sequence of damage. The discussion is supported by photos, drawings, and data from site surveys. The main goal of this paper is to shed some light on what happened in Pompeii and to present procedures and techniques used during the investigation.

Keywords: cultural heritage; archaeological sites; Pompeii; masonry constructions; structural failures; building collapse; forensic investigation; site surveys; accident reconstruction; structural safety; Schola Armaturarum; damage sequence; Italy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFE.2016.075989

International Journal of Forensic Engineering, 2016 Vol.3 No.1/2, pp.5 - 17

Received: 06 Oct 2015
Accepted: 02 Jan 2016
Published online: 20 Apr 2016 *

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