Fan tian si Project (Brahma-Heaven Temple) For the Study/Assessment Designs and Supervision/Monitoring For the Structural & Architectural Restoration of The Fantiansi Temple Pillar Colums, in HangZhou, ZheJiang Province, PRC

The Fan tian si Project regards the study and analysis of the conservation status of the two columns of the Temple Fantiansi HangZhou, in the ZheJiang province realized through an "Integrated Project diagnostic knowledge" that will use innovative technologies for investigation, detection and monitoring .The goal is to understand the general condition of the monument in order to set up a plan for the structural reinforcement and the restoration of the materials. The proposal was drawn up on the basis of data gathered from the technical report: "???????????????? (??????), in which is described a plan of survey and monitoring of the columns to be made for a period of three years. From this report we deduced some information on the history of the Taoist monument, built in 965 AD, and on the foundation restoration carried out in 2000-2001 and on structural reinforcement in 2009-2010. Other schematic information concern the state of conservation of the limestone and the static behaviour which is unstable and at risk of collapse due to the actions of atmospheric agents and probably to seismic forces. The columns, each 13 m apart., are almost similar in height: the column south is 14.99 m high, and the north 14.87 meters. They have a section with eight sides and the bottom of the column is composed of three parts divided into 4 decorative elements extending beyond. From the naked-eye analysis from some current photos we get some preliminary opinion on the shape of the columns to define the geometric characteristics and the distribution of the masses. The columns in fact have many bumps and prominences that undoubtedly contribute to their stability, a situation comparable to some European architectural solutions such as the pinnacles of the late Gothic spires of buildings such as the abbey of Saint Michelle in France. The pinnacles elements are constituted by truncated-pyramidal overlapped, probably pivoted, which narrow progressively to form the spires. All of them are equipped with bolts protruding from the sides placed in perfect symmetry. They seem decorative elements, inserted for aesthetic reasons, when in fact they perform the function of balancing the heavy masses, exactly as the tightrope use a transverse rod to walk on the rope. This solution has some similarities with the configuration of the columns of the Fantiansi Temple, that are much more stable than equivalent cylindrical columns. Starting from these static considerations we suggest some useful investigations as the key to understand the monument and to allow a critical analysis of the structure, of the iron connections between the drums and on the damping effects of the oscillations ( so slender structures are also sensitive to the wind). Above all, we considered useful to analyze the static behavior differences between the two columns and to carry out a detailed analysis of the joints, to detect abnormal states of compression, ejection of material in order to reconstruct the evolution in the time of the instability.