Experimental response of a scaled dry-joint masonry arch subject to inclined support displacements

Abstract

Support displacements are a major cause of damage to masonry arches. In the last decades, the effect of large support displacements on the stability of masonry arches has been widely investigated. However, there is still a lack of studies dealing with inclined support displacements. In this work, a large experimental campaign was performed on a 1:10 small-scale segmental masonry arch subjected to several combinations of vertical and horizontal support displacements. The mockup was built as a dry-joint assemblage of blocks and was tested to collapse by using a testing machine designed ad hoc. The effects of the displacement direction on the arch static behaviour were evaluated in terms of evolution of the hinge configuration, collapse mechanism, support reaction-displacement curves, ultimate displacement capacity and support reactions at collapse. In light of the experimental results, new conclusions about the arch response to inclined support displacements were drawn. A limit displacement domain, computed as a function of the direction of the imposed support displacements, was also proposed.