The thrust line in masonry arches: a new simplified algorithm

Abstract

Masonry arches and vaults have been widely used in the past to construct horizontal structural elements using materials with low tensile strength. Initially, the design methods used were mostly based on empirical rules derived from the experience of builders. In more recent centuries, however, analytical theories and graphical methods have been developed to formalize the static behaviour of the masonry arch. Although computational methods for evaluating masonry arch structures have been widely developed in recent decades, graphical and analytical methods are still simple and clear tools for understanding the structural behaviour of these structures. Therefore, a simplified method for identifying the thrust line in masonry arches is presented in this paper. The proposed algorithm is then applied to several case studies, and the results obtained are compared with those derived from finite element models.