Seismic Performance Evaluation of a Multi-Span Existing Masonry Arch Bridge

Abstract

Introduction: Existing old masonry arch bridges represent an architectural and cultural heritage of inestimable value because most of them were built in the last century and are still in service. They represent a very important part of roads and railways networks, having also an important strategic role. They are actually serving roads characterized by transit loads definitively heavier and more frequent than the ones of the past. Moreover, very often maintenance absence and material worn away, increased by the way by the environmental conditions, accelerate more and more the elements deterioration with a consequent loss of integrity and reduction of their carrying capacity. Methods: In this paper the seismic assessment of an old multi span masonry arch bridge still in service is evaluated. The bridge, located in Southern Italy, was built before the Second World War and crosses the “Cavone” River, from which it takes the name. Results and Conclusion: A series of numerical analyses are performed in order to evaluate its seismic performance and the model sensitivity with respect to the assumed masonry mechanical properties.

Characteristics of Crack Growth in Rock-Like Materials under Monotonic and Cyclic Loading Conditions

“…Rocks and underground structures often subjected to cyclic loading due to natural earthquakes, vibrations by car or train, and drill-and-blast by humans. Ground structures such as man-made masonry arch bridges also need to be assessed for stability due to earthquakes or cyclic loads [1]. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the crack growth characteristics of rocks under cyclic loading to ensure that there are no problems with the stability of structures in rocks.…”

Simplified Formulations for Estimating the Main Frequencies of Ancient Masonry Churches

“…The knowledge of the dynamic properties of a structure in the linear range is fundamental, because they influence the response evolution within the non-linear field. If the seismic lateral excitation is concerned, modal response characteristics, such as shape and frequency of vibration modes and damping ratios, are important not only for predicting the seismic performance (Ramos et al, 2013;D'Amato et al, 2017;Laterza et al, 2017), but also for diagnosing the current condition of a structure (Ramos et al, 2010;Ranieri and Fabbrocino, 2011). In fact, modal dynamic properties allow evaluating the effective connection among the parts, as well as allow obtaining progressive or sudden damage occurring while the structure is in service or after an exceptional action such as an earthquake.…”

Microscopic Multiple Fatigue Crack Simulation and Macroscopic Damage Evolution of Concrete Beam

“…Concrete lies in the category of quasi-brittle material and it is microscopically heterogeneous. Combination of concrete and other materials are extensively applied in engineering practice [4][5][6]. A large number of flaws are inevitably created before the loading, which can be considerably attributed to the loss of concrete moisture [7].…”

“…In this context, the purpose of approaches related to damage or fracture mechanics is to develop effective models that are able to reflect the progressive material degradation under fatigue loading. It shall be pointed out that the model is stipulated to pure concrete materials, the internal longitudinal and transverse reinforcements with related effects [4][5][6] are not considered in the present work. Based on these proposed models, attempts have been particularly made to the numerical simulation of fatigue [18,31].…”