ABSTRACT
This chapter 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 interdisciplinary methodology has included several different types of analyses, such as architectural surveys, historical studies, archaeological research and finally Ground penetrating radar tests. The crack patterns that appear on the facades may have resulted from different causes: the irregular building plans, the different amounts of parallel walls in the two main directions, the lack of box-behaviour of the masonry and the arrangement of the openings in facades.
