Abstract
In the present work, the damage propagation of a masonry arch induced by slow cyclic and dynamic loadings is studied. A two-dimensional model of the arch is proposed. A nonlocal damage-plastic constitutive law is adopted to reproduce the hysteretic characteristics of the masonry material, subjected to cyclic static loadings or to harmonic dynamic excitations. In particular, the adopted cohesive model is able to take into account different softening laws in tension and in compression, plastic strains, stiffness recovery and loss due to crack closure and reopening. The latter effect is an unavoidable feature for realistically reproducing hysteretic cycles. In the studied case, an inverse procedure is used to calibrate the model parameters. Then, nonlinear static and dynamic responses of the masonry arch are described together with damage propagation paths.
Highlights
Recent seismic events have led to an increased demand for the development of effective methods able to discern on the safety of existing masonry structures under dynamic loadings; in this context, arches and vaults have confirmed to be vulnerable with respect to the earthquakes showing the occurrence of extensive damage [1]
The Distinct Element Method (DEM) method allows an accurate description of the dynamic behavior of masonry arches composed by blocks, it could be inadequate for studying three-dimensional structures made out of a large number of elements
The present work focuses on the development of a computational strategy for studying the damage propagation in a masonry arch induced by slow cyclic and dynamic loadings
Summary
Recent seismic events have led to an increased demand for the development of effective methods able to discern on the safety of existing masonry structures under dynamic loadings; in this context, arches and vaults have confirmed to be vulnerable with respect to the earthquakes showing the occurrence of extensive damage [1]. The seismic capacity of masonry arches is usually studied considering the well-known Heyman’s hypotheses [2], who assumed infinite compressive strength and no tensile resistance This modeling approach is often adopted in the framework of limit analysis [3]. The presence of damage or of other inelastic phenomena modifies the overall structural dynamic response and the damage propagation potentially interacts dynamically with the element vibrations; in particular, changes in its behavior are associated to the decay of the mechanical properties of the system Based on these considerations, several studies have been devoted to use the variations in the dynamic behavior to detect structural damage. The damage propagation and the variations of the dynamic behavior (displacement, frequency contents) with respect to the undamaged condition are examined, when the studied mechanical system is excited by imposed base synchronous harmonic motions
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