Vicente G. Ruiz de Argandoña

Acoustic Emission Monitoring of the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca (Spain)

The presence of fractures and fissures in a building is the consequence of an inadequate response of its structure and/or materials to the stresses affecting them. Frequently, primarily in large buildings, the soil-structure interaction modifies the distribution of stress on the structure: differential settlement, unforeseen strains, underground instability, etc. are some of the causes that can induce fractures in the structure or in building materials. Generally speaking, the fractures and fissures caused by these factors cease to grow after a short time and do not represent a problem for the buildings stability.