A new structure consisting of nine trusses made of pultruded profiles in FRP for the Basilica of San Domenico – Siena

The article, written by Luca Venturi and Andrea Zampa, was published in Singeco News&Projects (Year III – December 2012), edited by Singeco Engineering Services, the company responsible for the design of the intervention in collaboration with Fibre Net in 2012.

« With its bare brick mass, the Basilica of San Domenico rises majestically on the hill of Camporegio, almost generated by the cliff overlooking Fontebranda, creating, together with the marble cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, a spectacular view of Siena. The complex, with a T-shaped plan of monastic tradition, appears grand and unadorned, with its brickwork enlivened only by the contrasting volumes of the transept and enriched solely by the long ogival windows and the succession of arches that mark the left side of the complex. Recently, some structural problems led the Ministry for Architectural Heritage to intervene on the roof section above the sacristy of the church, to the right of the central nave, at the intersection between it and the transept. The original roof, built with trusses spaced at about one meter apart, consisting of precast reinforced concrete beams with a double T-section (13×15 cm) and 20 mm diameter steel chains that absorbed horizontal thrusts, protects a vaulted structure underneath, which features some frescoes of significant historical and artistic interest. The design study initially focused on a solution that would involve reinforcing the original structure; a more suitable intervention to limit construction work and preserve the frescoes from the dangers of possible atmospheric precipitation that a complete replacement of the roof would have entailed. However, technical-economic analyses led Singeco Engineering to opt for an innovative solution that could accelerate the execution time (reducing the risks of rain) and significantly reduce the loads involved. It was decided to create a new structure consisting of nine trusses made of pultruded profiles in FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer). […] »