Seismic performance assessment of the historical Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore Dome by numerical analysis

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was constructed in 1420 and features one of the largest masonry domes constructed without the use of reinforcement. The city of Florence is situated between two zones of seismic activity, namely Mugello and Chianti, and has been affected by earthquakes in recent years. The objective of the present work is to develop a non-linear numerical analysis of the seismic behavior of the Cathedral using the finite element method, with the aim of allowing the perpetuation of historical constructions. The seismic analysis was developed with geological database comprising seven natural accelerograms, with five return times (50, 75, 101, 201, and 475 years). This analysis entailed the detailed examination of the accelerations, tensions and deformations resulting from the application of seismic events in the Cathedral's structure and indicate the failure zones. The greatest accelerations were observed for the seismic event with a magnitude of 6.93 Mw, a return time of 475 years, and were indicative of the most fractures in the Dome region.