The historical centre of Marignane (France). Survey, diagnostic campaign and structural assessment

This paper illustrates the results of a study on the historical centre of Marignane, which aimed at understanding the specific vulnerabilities of the buildings. In this respect, it also strived to establish a coherent framework of the most typical construction techniques and the main structural problems. The alluvial foundation soil appeared to be the main cause of the instability of the buildings. In order to acquire a better understanding of the construction methods, the study included a diagnostic campaign which used non-destructive testing. The aforementioned campaign, which was carried out with a Ground Penetrating Radar, aimed to support the stratigraphic analysis of the walls and provide further information about the building techniques and the masonry structures. All the evidence then led us to consider the impact of past earthquakes in this area and the study provided a basis for identifying coherent and compatible intervention criteria.