By Zayed Alzyoud
The School of Engineering at the University of Jordan (UJ) hosted a scientific lecture delivered by Prof. Fausto Minelli, Full Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Brescia in Italy, titled “Structural Strengthening of Historical Masonry Buildings.” The event was attended by Dean of the School of Engineering Prof. Menwer Attarakih Al Abbady, along with faculty members and students from the Architecture Engineering and Civil Engineering departments.
Minelli discussed fundamental principles such as stiffness, strength, and ductility in evaluating historic masonry structures, and examined both traditional and modern strengthening approaches, including timber and steel intrados beams and composite timber concrete systems. He also highlighted the use of advanced materials such as High Performance Concrete and Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete in improving structural performance while limiting additional load on heritage buildings.
The lecture also presented findings from the REVHEAL project, which involved full scale testing of a masonry cross vault reinforced with basalt fiber reinforced cementitious matrix, demonstrating the effectiveness of this technique in protecting architectural heritage.
Participants expressed appreciation for the depth and clarity of the scientific content and noted the lecture’s contribution to advancing research and building student expertise in structural engineering and heritage conservation.