Structural and Geotechnical Monitoring of the façades of the Royal Palace of Caserta

Structural and Geotechnical Monitoring System for the façades of the Royal Palace of Caserta

The system was developed as part of an extensive restoration project lasting approximately two years, involving the façades of the Royal Palace of Caserta. The aim of this pilot project is to monitor the condition of stone elements in which vulnerabilities were identified during the survey phase, and to develop a model that can be replicated across all the internal and external façades of the Royal Palace and on any other building requiring constant and in-depth monitoring of the condition of its materials and structure. This will make it possible both to continuously monitor the possible emergence of warning or alarm conditions, triggering the necessary interventions to eliminate risks to visitors, and to improve understanding of the evolution of deterioration affecting the façades of the Royal Palace, thereby providing a practical support tool for planning further preventive maintenance and reducing the likelihood of costly restoration work.

The monitoring system was installed on part of the extensive surface of the façades undergoing restoration and collects data recorded by a network of sensors installed on selected architectural elements.

The main features of this system include:

• Very low visual impact on the façades of the Royal Palace
• Low operating costs
• Minimal maintenance requirements
• Long-term durability
• Flexibility, adaptability and scalability
• Ease of use
• Accuracy and reliability of measurements

The sensor equipment was selected from the best solutions available on the market in terms of compact size, long-term reliability, advanced technology and measurement accuracy. Following installation, all sensors, cables and other components of the system installed on the façades were also finished on site so as to become virtually invisible. The sensor system was integrated with a WebGIS system georeferenced to the orthophoto plans of the elevations produced as part of the façade surveys. The web system provides access to the data in both summary and analytical form, using graphical and tabular formats, with a range of data query and analysis functions.

The system as a whole consists of a sensor data-logging component and a software component that allows online access to the data for analysis and monitoring. The measurements include parameters such as: Temperature, Inclination, Displacement, Extension and Crack Movement. The sensor system used is WINECAP™ by Capetti Elettronica and enables site monitoring through a wide range of measurement sensors/data loggers, with the additional advantage of Wireless Ultra Low Power technology, which eliminates both communication cables and the need for an electrical power supply. Each data logger operates autonomously, acquiring measurements and storing them in its internal memory (up to 128,000 measurements), while also transmitting them wirelessly to the coordinator unit. The monitoring system can be accessed through the WebGIS application, specifically developed by ES Progetti e Sistemi, which can be consulted locally via the intranet but can also easily be published on the web for access from anywhere.

The system was developed using a Web-Oriented architecture, therefore the services can be accessed through a web browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome). Access to the system is restricted to authenticated users.

Each sensor has a unique identifier (MAC address) that allows it to be associated with a feature for georeferencing. Each monitoring device has therefore been georeferenced and is visible on the map.
The following types of data can be viewed for each sensor:

• table of readings
• charts of readings
• events (threshold alarms, faults, etc.)