Application of Sonic Tests and Ground Penetrating Radar Technologies for the Characterisation of the Masonry Walls of the Castellina Museum in Norcia, Italy

This research combines non-invasive technologies with engineering analysis to assess the internal structure and elasticity of historical masonry walls of the Castellina Museum in Norcia (Italy), recently damaged by 2016 earthquake. The study focuses on using sonic tests (ST) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) to investigate the texture and uniformity of the masonry, aiming to identify cracks, voids, and damaged zones. ST uses elastic waves propagation measuring speed through the wall at various points, thus deriving a map of the mechanical properties’ variation. GPR uses electromagnetic waves reflections to image the internal structure of the wall and detect anomalies. The results of this integrated approach allowed to examine the degradation of the masonry analysed.