Masonry Spiral Stairs: A Comparison between Analytical and Numerical Approaches

Abstract

The present paper applies the Linear Arch Static Analysis (LASA), which models the masonry material as unilateral, i.e., No-Tension material in the sense of Heyman, and the Safe Theorem of the Limit Analysis to the study of masonry spiral stairs. A comparison is made with a refined FE analysis of the same problem, obtained by means of the ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL). The objective is to prove that LASA can be a valid alternative to other more complex numerical methods, such as FE, especially when the modeling parameters, such as the boundary conditions, cannot be exactly defined. The case study of a small spiral staircase placed in the tower of Nisida, a small island close to Naples, Italy is taken into consideration. The results show that the LASA analysis provides results that fall within two limit FE cases in terms of stress and overall thrust, providing at the same time a meaningful insight into the equilibrium state of the structure.

A novel graphical assessment approach for compressed curved structures under vertical loading

“…These data are challenging to define properly because of the uncertainties about the real restraint conditions at the surrounding wall. 32 Second, technical Standards and Building Codes address masonry structures composed or recti-linear and planar elements such as columns and walls. They do not cover spatially curved systems like the flying staircase.…”

Pure compressive solutions for masonry domes under gravity loads

“…Masonry domes, widely used in monumental buildings, are great works of architecture and engineering with a long history dating back to the dawn of civilization. Their static behavior has been widely studied through different methods which can be broadly classified into equilibrium methods [1][2][3] and deformation methods [4][5][6]. The present work aims at comparing equilibrium solutions for masonry domes under gravity loads obtained by applying a membrane approach and a Finite Element (FE) analysis.…”

The Dome of the San Francesco Di Paola Basil: A Real Geometry Based Assessment

“…The difficulty arises from the interac�on between biaxial stress on curved geometries and the strongly nonlinear mechanical behavior of masonry materials. The geometry of the dome, which can migrate the loads according to a specified posi�on, and the construc�on details both have a significant impact on the issue [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Therefore, it might easily result detrimental to have to assess both the material's mechanical proper�es and the actual geometry of the building in numerical modeling.…”