Recent seismic events have caused damage or collapse of invaluable historical buildings, further proving the vulnerability of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures to earthquakes. This study aims to understand failure of masonry arches-typical components of URM historic structures-subjected to horizontal ground acceleration impulses. An analytical model is developed to describe the dynamic behaviour of the arch and is used to predict the combinations of impulse magnitudes and durations which lead to its collapse. The model considers impact of the rigid blocks through several cycles of motion, illustrating that failure can occur at lower ground accelerations than previously believed. The resulting failure domains are of potential use for design and assessment purposes. Predictions of the analytical model are compared with results of numerical modelling by the distinct element method, and the good agreement between results validates the analytical model and at the same time confirms the potential of the distinct element framework as a method of evaluating complex URM structures under dynamic loading.

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We introduce structural feasibility into procedural modeling of buildings. This allows for more realistic structural models that can be interacted with in physical simulations. While existing structural analysis tools focus heavily on providing an analysis of the stress state, our proposed method automatically tunes a set of designated free parameters to obtain forms that are structurally sound.

This paper investigates the collapse of masonry buttresses under concentrated lateral loads. A fracture forms at the collapse state, significantly decreasing the resistance to overturning. Conventional analysis assumes that a masonry buttress acts monolithically to resist lateral loads. The current paper demonstrates that this approach is clearly unsafe, and the possibility of a fracture at the collapse state must be considered in the design and assessment of masonry buttresses. By treating the masonry as a continuum, infinitely strong in compression, with no resistance to tension and no possibility for sliding, the writers demonstrate the form of the fracture and determine the critical failure load for typical buttress forms. This approach follows in the tradition of limit analysis of masonry structures as developed by Hey man. General methods are proposed for the overturning analysis of masonry buttresses, and calculation examples are provided. Finally, methods for evaluating the safety of existing buttresses are presented and discussed.