Structural Consolidation of Aghios Konstantinos Church, Athens

Abstract

This paper is based on the Master’s thesis work conducted by D.Ph. Pocobelli in Sapienza University of Rome in 2014. Although the Aghios Konstantinos Church is currently under restoration processes, this research took place before the restoration of the dome, now finalised. Aghios Konstantinos Church was designed by architect Lysandros Kaftantzoglou at the end of the 19th century. It was being built for more than 20 years, and it was completed after its author’s death. The main façade is characterised by three different levels: the ground floor, the mezzanine or gynaeceum, and the dome. The inner space is organised into three naves and a transept; the intersection between the central nave and the transept is covered by the dome. The church has suffered several damages caused mainly by two strong earthquakes that took place in the surroundings of Athens. The first earthquake occurred in 1981 in Alkyonides Islands, with a magnitude of 6.6 Richter. The second one happened in 1999 in Ano Liosia, with a magnitude of 5.5 Richter. These events caused major structural damages, concentrated on the dome, the main piles and the arches supporting the vault. On top of that, major fractures were also produced by the weight of the dome itself, which has been built with greater dimensions and heavier materials than the ones originally calculated by Kaftantzoglou. The piles have deep horizontal fractures on their bases, and superficial diagonal fractures under the cornice. The arches supporting the vault have transversal fractures that become deeper in correspondence of the keystone. Finally, the dome reveals a continuous horizontal fracture on the tambour, and vertical cracks that run from the architraves upwards. The interventions proposed in this paper are a Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) hooping for the dome and stainless steel chaining bars for the arches.

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