A discourse on cultural heritage. Digitalization investigation and technical analysis of Venetian Tower in Durrës

This study will focus on the context of Durres’s historic and cultural heritage, designed in the past during the XIV. Durres represents a very special occasion, unique in terms of intertwining Roman and Venetian architectural style with Albanian motives. This feature has resulted from many political, economic and social factors of the time that fundamentally changed the way of vision and architectural conception in Durres. Every cultural heritage is inseparable from history as a witness of which it is, as well as from the place where it is located. Consequently, complete or partial interventions in a cultural heritage may not be permitted, except cases when the preservation of the heritage requires, or when this is justified by reasons of great national or international interest. This study aims to analyze the restoration of these buildings, by means of architectural restoration, conservation and structural consolidation, preserving aesthetic and historical values. The main goal is to turn these heritage buildings and fragments into full use of their previous function, increase their lifespan or value identification in our case. The focus of this study is the identification of architectural values, structural problems after the erathquake, secondly 3d FEM-modeling, simulations, scenario- investigation and in-depth the right adoption for the future. According the engineering point of view the peculiarities of the global response of old building are shown with the aid of a simplified physical 3d model, realized with etabs software, able to reproduce earthquake damage to composite-masonry buildings and failure modes observed in experimental tests. The application of this methodology to old masonry typologies points out the difficulties related to existing buildings.