Numerical modelling of masonry towers: the case study of the "Rognosa" tower in San Gimignano

In this paper we present a preliminary study concerning the static behaviour and the seismic vulnerability of the "Rognosa" tower in San Gimignano, Italy, which was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 1990. The structure is modelled by using the finite element code NOSA, in which the masonry is assumed to be a nonlinear elastic material with zero tensile strength and bounded compressive strength. The behaviour of the tower subjected to its own weight and an accelerogram recorded during a real earthquake, is investigated.