Salvatore Barbaro

Setting up of a protocol of environmental research for the preservation and right exploitation of the cultural heritage

The research aims at collecting information on the state of preservation of the cultural heritage in Palermo, and deals more precisely with Vittorio Emanuele avenue, itself bounded by two city gates called Porta Felice (northern gate facing the Mediterranean sea) and Porta Nuova (southern gate) that both give access to the historic centre of the city. Another important purpose is the assessment of livability level, be it for workers, residents, cultural operators, or else visitors, with a particular interest in traffic noise. The research has been conducted by means of miscellaneous scientific duties; however we shall only refer here to two types of practice : the monitoring of environmental noise and the monitoring of the level of air aggressiveness through the study of thermo-hygrometric and chemical aspects. Whereas the Corrosion Classification Coupon was useful for the measurement of corrosive agents in outdoor locations, outdoor HOBO Pro sensors were used to report temperature and relative humidity. Hence it was possible to define the acoustic climate on the avenue surveying both geometrical data as well as traffic flow and characteristics.

Assessing of the solid‐borne noise produced by the urban traffic. Case study: St. Giuseppe dei Teatini’s Church in Palermo

In past years, the continuously increasing road traffic, correlated with both economical and social development, has improved the vibration rate upon the structures. Anyway often the component vibration is ignored, for different reasons. Today in Italy a law about vibration impact upon structures does not exist; we refer to the International Standard Organization. The vibration waves hitting the structures may cause damages, increasing at particular frequencies. There are other kinds of nonstructural damages, that are called cosmetic damages, such as cracks in the plaster and damages on architectural elements. In this work a survey protocol has been set up, with application to a busy street in the historical center of Palermo: Vittorio Emanuele street. In this street a church has been chosen like a case study: the St. Giuseppe dei Teatini’s Church, that is a heritage building. The case study includes at the same time measurements of both vehicular traffic and vibration on the ground floor and first floor.

A theoretical‐experimental approach for assessing the vibration impact due to vehicular traffic upon the heritage building structures

In past years, a new method of structural analysis has been developed for assessing the vibration impact due to vehicular traffic upon the heritage building structures. This method is based on on the conjuncture among the monitoring of the structure, and the structural identification. The satisfaction of such demands in the case of buildings already realized, above all if ancient, can be prevented by the impossibility to reach to a complete knowledge both of the structural organism and the strength state of maintenance of every component of the building. An exhaustive knowledge would be achievable only applying such methods of investigation to induce heavy troubles to the analyzed manufactured article. From these consideration the idea of the construction of an elementary system is born. An elementary PC model, that is an ideal receiver whose all the mechanical and geometric characteristics are known, has been designed for in situ analysis and excited applying the experimental vibrational levels in order ...