Vaults, roof truss and walls interaction issue in monumental masonry structures

Abstract

The paper discusses the subject of interaction between a roof truss, vaults and load-bearing walls in a masonry monumental structure. The static structural analysis of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Basilica in Bialystok, as an example of Polish neogothic architecture from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries has been carried out. The building consists of a three-aisled masonry walls system, which in cooperation with cross-ribbed vaults and a timber roof truss determine the spatial rigidity of the structure. Lack of concrete ring-beams and horizontal oriented ceiling slabs cause global stiffness reduction to the horizontal loads. In the past, it could have been one of the main reason for the appearance of cracks in the structure. The basic aspect having a real influence on building global behaviour is interaction of load-bearing structural parts. This structure was subjected to the static analysis with an investigation about the influence of interaction between the roof truss, vaults and walls. The values of horizontal displacements of walls were compared as a result of wind pressure acting on the structure. Numerical calculations were carried out using finite element method.