3-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRIC SURVEY AND STRUCTURAL MODELLING OF THE DOME OF PISA CATHEDRAL

• Main Authors: D. Aita, R. Barsotti, S. Bennati, G. Caroti, A. Piemonte
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2017-02-01
• Series: The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
• Online Access: http://www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XLII-2-W3/39/2017/isprs-archives-XLII-2-W3-39-2017.pdf

This paper aims to illustrate the preliminary results of a research project on the dome of Pisa Cathedral (Italy). The final objective of the present research is to achieve a deep understanding of the structural behaviour of the dome, through a detailed knowledge of its geometry and constituent materials, and by taking into account historical and architectural aspects as well. A reliable survey of the dome is the essential starting point for any further investigation and adequate structural modelling. Examination of the <i>status quo</i> on the surveys of the Cathedral dome shows that a detailed survey suitable for structural analysis is in fact lacking. For this reason, high-density and high-precision surveys have been planned, by considering that a different survey output is needed, according both to the type of structural model chosen and purposes to be achieved. Thus, both range-based (laser scanning) and image-based (3D Photogrammetry) survey methodologies have been used. This contribution introduces the first results concerning the shape of the dome derived from surveys. Furthermore, a comparison is made between such survey outputs and those available in the literature.