Keywords: masonry, arches, experimental testing, numerical modelling.

This paper discusses the results of the numerical analysis of masonry arches which have been reinforced using fibre-glass fabrics. Witzany et al. [1] conducted laboratory tests on reinforced and unreinforced masonry arches at the Czech Technical University in Prague. The main aim of the experimental programme was an evaluation of the different types of reinforcement. These reinforcement can be placed on the bottom face or on the top face on the arches. The reinforcement can cover only a part of the surface and top and the bottom reinforcement can be combined. Thus there are many possible reinforcement layouts. The original experimental programme did not include a numerical counterpart.

This paper describes an ongoing work in this area. The first part of paper discusses a parametric study of the reinforcement configurations. This study uses linear elastic material models. The of this study purpose is to identify the cases with stress concentrations which may lead to the early statrt of the damage processes. The second part of this paper discusses a non-linear analysis of one of the selected cases.

The non-linear analysis has been done with use of the finite element method and the ANSYS software. The SOLID65 finite element type and the CONCRETE material type have been used. The selected material model was originally developed for modelling of concrete by Willam and Warnke [2]. The numerical study can serve as a guide for configurations of reinforcement configurations for arches or as a supporting tool for finding configurations for further experimental tests. The non-linear part of the computations is performed for cases that have been selected during the parametric study. Only one example of these computations is discussed in this paper.

The selected approach has some disadvantages but it can be successfully used for this particular task. The use of more advanced numerical models or the use of homogenisation approaches [3] can improve the precision (of an efficiency) of the numerical computations but it may require additional work and it needs additional input data which may not be available.

1

J. Witzany, T. Cejka, R. Zigler, "Strenghtening of Historical Masonry Vaults and Pillars with Carbon Fabric", First Middle East Conference on Smart Monitoring, Assessment and Rehabilitation of Civil Strucutes, SMAR2011, UAE, 2011.

2

K.J. Willam, E.P. Warnke, "Constitutive Models for Triaxial Behaviour of Concrete Subjected to Triaxial Stresses", Int. Assoc. Bridge Struct. Eng. Proc., 19, 1-30, 1975.

3

A. Zucchini, P.B. Lourenço, "A Coupled Homogenisation-Damage Model for Masonry Cracking", Computers and Structures, 82, 917-929, 2004. doi:10.1016/j.compstruc.2004.02.020

purchase the full-text of this paper (price £20)

go to the previous paper
go to the next paper
return to the table of contents
return to the book description
purchase this book (price £65 +P&P)