PSI - Issue 78

Daniele Sivori et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 78 (2026) 481–488

488

4. Conclusions This paper presented the design philosophy and the technical solutions adopted for the new permanent dynamic monitoring system installed on the Saint Lawrence Cathedral in Genoa, a landmark of invaluable cultural and architectural importance. The implemented system successfully integrates heterogeneous sensing technologies to meet the demanding and diverse requirements of monitoring both low-amplitude operational vibrations and high amplitude seismic events. Initial AVTs highlighted a complex dynamic interaction between the bell tower and the main body of the church, as highlighted in previous studies. The choice of high-sensitivity MEMS accelerometers for higher elevations and Force-Balance units at the base, combined with a hybrid wired and wireless data transmission architecture, proved to be an effective strategy to overcome the challenges posed by a complex and protected heritage structure. The continuous data stream now available will enable developing a data-driven approach to structural health monitoring, allowing for the long-term tracking of modal parameters and the identification of potential anomalies or damage. Furthermore, it will provide a crucial dataset for correlating the structural response with environmental factors, such as temperature, ultimately supporting the preservation strategies and maintenance planning for this ancient monument. The methodology and the lessons learnt represent a valuable reference for future applications on similar complex masonry heritage buildings. Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the collaboration with Prof. Rita Vecchiattini of DAD Department of the University of Genoa in the study of the historical phases of the church. Moreover, the authors acknowledge the financial support to the research project provided by the Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape Superintendency of the Metropolitan City of Genoa. Finally, the authors acknowledge Lunitek S.r.l for providing the monitoring instrumentation and the Official Building Materials Laboratory of the DICCA Department, University of Genoa, for carrying out the installation of the monitoring system. References Degli Abbati, S., Sivori, D., Cattari, S., Lagomarsino, S., 2024. Ambient vibrations-supported seismic assessment of the Saint Lawrence Cathedral’s bell tower in Genoa, Italy. Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring 14(1), 121-142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-023 00709-1 Cattari, S., Sivori, D., Alfano, S., Ierimonti, L., Cavalagli, N., Venanzi, I., Ubertini, F., 2021. Calibration of numerical models to support SHM: the Consoli Palace of Gubbio, Italy. In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering (COMPDYN 2021), pp. 3778-3794. https://doi.org/10.7712/120121.8746.19251 Sivori, D., Lepidi, M., Cattari, S., 2024. Analytical identification of dynamic structural models: Mass matrix of an isospectral lumped mass model. Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics 53(8), 2447-2467. https://doi.org/10.1002/eqe.4126 Azzara, R. M., De Roeck, G., Girardi, M., Padovani, C., Pellegrini, D., Reynders, E., 2018. The influence of environmental parameters on the dynamic behaviour of the San Frediano bell tower in Lucca. Engineering Structures 156, 175-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.10.045 Pellegrini, D., Barontini, A., Girardi, M., Lourenço, P. B., Masciotta, M. G., Mendes, N., Padovani, C., Ramos, L. F., 2023. Effects of temperature variations on the modal properties of masonry structures: An experimental-based numerical modelling approach. Structures 53, 595-613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2023.04.080 Sivori, D., Merani, M. G. B., Bocchi, F., Spina, D., Cattari, S., 2025. Environmental effects on the experimental modal parameters of masonry buildings: experiences from the Italian Seismic Observatory of Structures (OSS) network. Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring 15(2), 307-331. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-024-00847-0 Gentile, C., Ruccolo, A., Canali, F., 2019. Continuous monitoring of the Milan Cathedral: dynamic characteristics and vibration-based SHM. Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring 9(5), 671-688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-019-00361-8 Kita, A., Cavalagli, N., Ubertini, F., 2019. Temperature effects on static and dynamic behavior of Consoli Palace in Gubbio, Italy. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing 120, 180-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2018.10.021 Pachón, P., Infantes, M., Cámara, M., Compán, V., García-Macías, E., Friswell, M. I., Castro-Triguero, R., 2020. Evaluation of optimal sensor placement algorithms for the Structural Health Monitoring of architectural heritage. Application to the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Buenavista (Seville, Spain). Engineering Structures 202, 109843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.109843