Bòvedas tabicadas: experimental and numerical analysis

Abstract

A class of thin vaults, the so-called "bòvedas tabicadas", which represent one of the most common Spanish traditional building techniques at the end of XIX century are studied here, treating the relevant analysis problem through a numerical, as well as an experimental, approach. At first the problem is studied by searching for the behaviour of the material effecting suitable experiments. Once the constitutive behaviour of the materials and the structural elements are experimentally characterized, a semi inverse method for the identification of the optimum mechanical parameters to assign to an equivalent homogeneous ideal material through analysis reproducing the executed experimental tests is adopted on the grounds of finite element analysis. Moreover, other tests are processed on a real structure in order to determine the mechanical and geometric response to assigned loads. These results, compared to the related numerical analyses, can be utilized in order to propose some useful simple criteria in the reinforcing design of the referenced structures.

On the analysis of Catalan thin vaults

“…Further details on the experimental setup are reported in [5][6]. By experimental test the vertical displacements of three points (Figure 11a) due to a distributed load (ranging from 0.0 to 4.0 kN/m 2 ) have been measured.…”

“…An examination of this figure shows the improvement in the results when the material is correctly modelled as a layered one. It is worth noticing that the improvement of the results, with respect to the ones obtained in [5][6], is a consequence of several new experimental tests effected and of the more reliable information deduced. …”

“…To this aim two different strategies have been employed: the first one is that to adopt a homogeneous ideal material and this study has already been effected and reported in [5][6]; the second one, proposed in the present paper is that of reproducing each layer as a homogeneous material with peculiar characteristics. In particular, the fundamental aim is to identify the role and the influence that from a mechanical point of view the mortar plays in the brick layers.…”

“…The compression test on a masonry unit parallel to the layers (further details in [5,6]) has been effected on a sample with dimensions 32.25×32.15×11.50 cm (Figure 3). The obtained results, in terms of stress and strain, are plotted in Figure 4.…”

Dynamic Identification and Static Loading Tests of Timbrel Vaults: Application to a Modernist 20th Century Heritage Structure

“…Recently, Palizzolo et al (2008) Ferrario et al (2012) analysed a thin single-leaf vault and evaluated its seismic vulnerability through cyclic loading tests. A recent interesting project that drew inspiration from the traditional timbrel vaulting systems can be found in López et al (2014).…”