For effective restoration and conservation of historic buildings, a detailed assessment of the structural safety and physical damages of the masonry structure 
is required. This step can only be carried out in a non-destructive and volume covering way in order not only to preserve the building, but also to avoid disturbing 
the state of stress and strain of the structure. Therefore methodologies will be developed for the evaluation of historic masonry.   
An efficient approach to a practical solution includes three main steps:   
  
To identify the typical masonry damages and the most frequent pathologies in each region. The catalogue of the most frequent problems should be mainly developed 
by local institutions and authorities (end-users), based on their database of restoration and inspection projects.   
To develop a methodology for inspection based on the use of fast and cheap non-destructive techniques (NDT) and software packages for fast and automated 
data analysis, to allow a selection of areas for a more detailed inspection.   
The data and reports of the inspection are the base for the assessment. In some cases, the assessment requires to use theories and models specific for masonry 
to evaluate the loading capacity and the foreseeable evolution of them.   
Recommendations and guidelines for the application of the integrated methodologies will be developed in close co-operation with end-users at the end of 
the project. 
            

The higher-ranking objective of the project was to assess the static   
conditions of historic structures and their capability to resist to time and to   
the natural catastrophic events in a more accurate, faster, cheaper and   
more effective way. Therefore, methodologies for the evaluation of the   
structure of historic cultural heritage masonries were developed and   
improved in the project, typical masonry damages and the most frequent   
pathologies in each region were identified and summarised in a catalogue   
of problems and damages. In addition, for an accurate investigation of the   
state and conditions of cultural heritage monuments, the project mainly   
concentrated on the use of non-destructive testing (NDT) and   
minor-destructive testing (MDT) methods. These techniques do not, or   
only to a limited extent, harm the valuable building fabric of the   
investigated object and are thus particularly suited for the application to   
historic buildings. A compilation of the available testing techniques, their   
requirements and their performance specifications have been worked out.   
Some investigation methods or devices have been further developed in the   
frame of the project and have been set up as “prototypes”, to be a basis for   
an already starting commercial exploitation.  
  
   
  
The measurement and testing campaigns were carried out on more than   
10 historic building sites mainly in Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic,   
Slovenia and Germany. Finally, recommendations and technical guidelines   
for the application of the integrated methodologies have been developed in   
close co-operation with the final users.  
  
   
  
The consortium coordinated by the German Federal Institute for Materials   
Research and Testing (BAM) was constituted by 14 partners bringing   
together all the needed expertise and representing complementary roles:   
equipment manufacturers, developers of NDT methodologies, experts for   
structural models and owners of cultural properties which have played an   
important role as potential users of the tested methodologies. The range of   
tested methodologies has spread from radar, geo-electric, impact echo,   
ultra sonic, microseismic, impulse thermography, microwave bore-holes,   
endoscopy, flat jack techniques, etc. to software data processing, the   
latter leading to an easier interpretation and better acceptance of NDT and   
MDT results also for non experts.  
  
   
  
Onsiteformasonry has already proved to be a key and 'reference' project   
for several new launched projects and initiatives, as well as for training   
relating to the assessment of structures of important built cultural assets;   
it eventually ended last year with the publication of a CD and an   
EC-OPOCE publication (ISBN 92-894-9601-0,  EUR 21696 EN) with the   
aim to guide the end-users through the methods and their combined use   
for the solution of specific problems.