Analysis of masonry structures

Much of our architectural, cultural and structural heritage consists of unreinforced masonry. These historic structures fail mostly due to instabilities caused by large deformations and displacements. The standard structural analysis tools used in engineering practice today are not well suited to deal with these types of structural problems, not in the least because of the unknowable material properties of historic masonry constructions. The BRG develops a robust computational basis for a fully three-dimensional method for limit analysis of vaulted masonry structures with complex geometry. In addition to computational methods, the BRG also studies masonry structures by means of scaled models. Collapse mechanisms can be simulated using an actuated testing table, an optical registration system, and 3D-printed scale models.

ETH ZurichDARCHITA

 

ETH Zurich
Institute of Technology in Architecture
Block Research Group
Stefano-Franscini-Platz 1, HIB E 45
8093 Zurich, Switzerland
haake@arch.ethz.ch
block.arch.ethz.ch

+41 44 633 38 35  phone
+41 44 633 10 53  fax

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