Dynamic damage characterization of slender masonry structures by radar interferometry: a case study

The work shows an experimental and numerical investigation on the dynamic identification of damage in slender masonry structures using the innovative remote sensing technique of ground-based radar interferometry. The case study concerns San Cataldo’s masonry lighthouse, which is located in Puglia (Italy). Here, we experimentally determine the natural frequencies of the lighthouse by carrying out Ambient Vibration Tests (AVT) using an interferometric radar system. Starting from the experimental results, we calibrate a numerical model of the structure and study the sensitivity of the first natural frequencies of the model to five possible damage scenarios involving different parts of the structure and different degrees of damage. Comparing numerical and experimental results, we show that the interferometric radar can be effectively applied to detect damage involving the lower part of the structure.