E ’04 Preservation of Venetian Bell Tower

Click here to visit this project's page on Prof. Carrera's website.

Summary
The goal of the project team working on this IQP was to contribute to the preservation of Venetian bell towers. The team built on the work of several previous IQPs conducted from 1992 to 1996 by further developing the method for cataloging bell towers. They also developed a master database of all the bell tower data currently collected as well as adding nine new towers to the list. The project team also analyzed the possibility of using specialized instruments to monitor the structural integrity of the towers, including accelerometers, strain gauges, and seismic monitors.
This work is an important contribution to the care and maintenance of bell towers, which are not only an importance part of Venetian heritage but their decaying structures are also a safety concern for locals. There were a variety of methodologies used in these projects as well as the tower data that Earthwatch volunteers collected over a span three years. By standardizing the methodology used to catalog bell towers, this group has facilitated future research and restoration efforts by WPI and other groups.

Team
Melissa Marion
Mike Milkin
Eric Mill
Chris Vitone

Sponsor
Founded by Professor Fabio Carrera in 1988, the Venice Project Center @ WPI is an academic initiative designed to allow undergraduate engineering students to study abroad, to apply skills and knowledge to solve real-world problems, to further develop these skills, and to provide valuable assistance to a city endangered by environmental, socio-economic and man-made factors.