Characterization and joining of an historical ferrous tie-rod

A ferrous tie rod, which was retrieved from a 17th century masonry building, has been examined. The chemical composition and the microstructure of the tie-rod are consistent with the technology of the time. The tie-rod was successfully welded to modern steel profiles, by means of gas metal arc welding, in order to verify if this method could be applied for restoration works. Threading tests were also successfully performed, for the same purpose. Both the original tie-rod, and the welded specimens were thoroughly characterized with both metallurgical and mechanical methods; moreover, full-scale tensile tests were performed on both welded and threaded samples.