The structural behaviour of a building can be studied by the Finite Element Method (FEM), as widely used by the scientific community. More specifically, FEM models allow to predict the response of a structure under prescribed static (e.g. dead load and self-weight) or dynamic (e.g. earthquake, wind) loading conditions, or under imposed displacements at the boundaries (e.g. subsoil movements and settling of foundations). In the modelling process, the calibration of the numerical model plays a fundamental role in order to obtain reliable results. The picture below shows some numerical models of historical constructions developed by the UNIPG research team.
