An integrated survey experience for assessing the seismic vulnerability of Senigallia´s Fortress (Italy): documentation for conservation and FEM modeling

The paper presents the results of research carried out by an interdisciplinary team at the SAD in Ascoli Piceno in collaboration with MiBACT to verify the seismic safety of national museums. The object of study was the Rocca Roveresca Fortress complex in Senigallia (Marche, Italy), a unique example of a small 14th-century fortress shaped by a series of successive modifications. It currently houses a national museum. An integrated survey based on the acquisition of 3D laser-scanner data and endoscopic investigation was necessary to outline the traces of the stratifications and therefore to obtain different high- and low-poly 3D models useful for different purposes. The main objective was to propose an ideal workflow in developing 3D models that are useful for finite element method (FEM) analysis to detect hidden vulnerabilities in the fortress by evaluating the behaviour of several substructures in the walls.