Masonry structures made of monolithic blocks with an application to spiral stairs

The broad topic of the present work is Statics and Kinematics of masonry structures, made of monolithic blocks, modelled a la Heyman, that is rigid bodies loaded by external forces, submitted to unilateral constraints, and undergoing small displacements, under the simplifying assumption that sliding on rough interfaces is prevented. Specifically, in this work, we study the effect, in terms of internal forces, of specified loads, by using given settlements/eigenstrains to trigger special regimes of the internal forces. Although our scope here is the analysis of masonry structures composed by monolithic pieces, and whose blocks are not likely to break at their inside, the method we propose can also be applied to generic masonry structures, such as those made of bricks or small stones. Heyman’s assumptions translate, for unilateral continua, into a normality assumption which allows to employ the two theorems of Limit Analysis. These continuous structures may actually fracture everywhere at their inside, forming rigid blocks in relative displacement among each other. Such piecewise rigid-body displacements in masonry are physiological, and rather than the result of over-loading, are most likely the direct product of small changes of the displacement type boundary conditions. However, when in a part of the structure a specific piecewise rigid-body displacement nucleates, that part of the structure exhibits a one degree of freedom mechanism, and becomes statically determined. Therefore, the internal forces can be computed, despite the original uncracked structure being abundantly overdetermined, and then admitting infinite many statically admissible stress regimes. With these assumptions, in the present paper we study the equilibrium and the effect of settlements in a masonry structure made of monolithic blocks. In particular, the triple helical stair of the convent of San Domingos de Bonaval, located in the Bonaval district of Santiago de Compostela, is considered as case study.     

Discrete and continuous models for in plane loaded random elastic brickwork

The aim of this paper is to study non-periodic masonries – typical of historical buildings – by means of a perturbation approach and to evaluate the effect of a random perturbation on the elastic response of a periodic masonry wall. The random masonry is obtained starting from a periodic running bond pattern. A random perturbation on the horizontal positions of the vertical interfaces between the blocks which form the masonry wall is introduced. In this way, the height of the blocks is uniform, while their width in the horizontal direction is random. The perturbation is limited such as each block has still exactly 6 neighboring blocks. In a first discrete model, the blocks are modeled as rigid bodies connected by elastic interfaces (mortar thin joints). In other words, masonry is seen as a “skeleton” in which the interactions between the rigid blocks are represented by forces and moments which depend on their relative displacements and rotations. A second continuous model is based on the homogenization of the discrete model. Explicit upper and lower bounds on the effective elastic moduli of the homogenized continuous model are obtained and compared to the well-known effective elastic moduli of the regular periodic masonry. It is found that the effective moduli are not very sensitive to the random perturbation (less than 10%). At the end, the Monte Carlo simulation method is used to compare the discrete random model and the continuous model at the structural level (a panel undergoing in plane actions). The randomness of the geometry requires the generation of several samples of size L of the discrete masonry. For a sample of size L, the structural discrete problem is solved using the same numerical procedure adopted in [Cecchi, A., Sab, K., 2004. A comparison between a 3D discrete model and two homogenized plate models for periodic elastic brickwork, International Journal of Solids Structures 41 (9–10), 2259–2276] and the average solution over the samples gives an estimation which depends on L. As L increases, an asymptotic limit is reached. One issue is to find the minimum size for L and to compare the asymptotic average solution to the one obtained from the continuous homogenized model.     

Limit analysis by linear programming of 3D masonry structures with associative friction laws and torsion interaction effects

In this paper, a formulation for limit analysis of three-dimensional masonry structures discretized as rigid block assemblages interacting through no-tension and frictional contact interfaces is developed. Linear and piecewise linearized yield functions are used for rocking, sliding and torsion failure. A simple yield condition has been defined to take into account interaction effects of shear force with torsion and bending moment. Associative flow rules are considered for strain rates. On the basis of the developed governing equations, the limit analysis problem has been formulated as a nonlinear mathematical program. An iterative solution procedure based on linear programming is used to solve the limit analysis problem and to take into account nonlinearities due to the influence of bending moments and shear stresses on torsion strength. The results of experimental investigations on out-of-plane masonry walls constrained at one edge and different examples from literature were considered for validation. Comparison with existing formulations is carried out.     

Explicit solutions for depressed masonry arches loaded until collapse—Part I: a one-dimensional nonlinear elastic model

In this paper the equilibrium problem for masonry arches is formulated in terms of a suitable set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. We show that by making a small number of simple hypotheses it is possible to find the explicit expressions for the displacements and rotations of the cross-sections of an in-plane loaded masonry arch. To this end, the masonry arch is schematised as a curved, one-dimensional nonlinear elastic beam made of a material that is by hypothesis incapable of withstanding significant tensile stresses. In this first part of the two-part paper, the one-dimensional model and the explicit expressions for the displacements and rotations, obtained by integrating the set of differential equations, are presented. In particular, the formal expressions for displacement, stress and strain fields are illustrated in full detail for an explicit, albeit approximate, solution for a statically determinate depressed arch subjected to a uniform vertical load.     

Solvability of boundary value problems in the geometrically and physically nonlinear theory of shallow shells of Timoshenko type

This paper deals with the proof of the existence of solutions of a geometrically and physically nonlinear boundary value problem for shallow Timoshenko shells with the transverse shear strains taken into account. The shell edge is assumed to be partly fixed. It is proposed to study the problem by a variational method based on searching the points of minimum of the total energy functional for the shell-load system in the space of generalized displacements. We show that there exists a generalized solution of the problemon which the total energy functional attains its minimum on a weakly closed subset of the space of generalized displacements.     

Elastic-plastic analysis of a wheel rolling on a rigid track

A consistent finite element model for a circular wheel is developed based on triangular and quasi-triangular domains and a piecewise linear displacement field. The minimum stress-rate principle of plasticity is used to obtain the solution of this two-dimensional continuum problem with internal unloading. A piecewise approximation of the Tresca yield condition is used. Elastic-plastic solutions of a wheel rolling on a rigid track under its own weight and a hub load are obtained for the first few revolutions until a steady state condition is reached. Shake-down conditions for the wheel are demonstrated.     

A homogenized viscoelastic model for masonry structures

A linear viscous model for evaluating the stresses and strains produced in masonry structures over time is presented. The model is based on rigorous homogenization procedures and the following two assumptions: that the structure is composed of either rigid or elastic blocks, and that the mortar is viscoelastic. The hypothesis of rigid block is particularly suitable for historical masonry, in which stone blocks may be assumed as rigid bodies, while the hypothesis of elastic blocks may be assumed for newly constructed brickwork structures. The hypothesis of viscoelastic mortar is based on the observation that non-linear phenomena may be concentrated in mortar joints. Under these assumptions, constitutive homogenized viscous functions are obtained in an analytical form.Some meaningful cases are discussed: masonry columns subject to minor and major eccentricity, and a masonry panel subject to both horizontal and vertical loads. The major eccentricity case is analysed taking into account both the effect of viscosity and the no-tension hypothesis, whereas the bi-dimensional loading case is analysed to verify the sensitivity of masonry behaviour to viscous function. In the masonry wall considered, the principal stresses are both of compression, and the no-tension assumption may therefore be discounted.     

Homogenization towards a mechanistic Rigid Body and Spring Model (HRBSM) for the non-linear dynamic analysis of 3D masonry structures

A mechanistic model with rigid elements and interfaces suitable for the non-linear dynamic analysis of full scale 3D masonry buildings is presented. The model relies into two steps: in the first step, a simplified homogenization is performed at the meso-scale to deduce the mechanical properties of a macroscopic material, to be used in structural applications; the second step relies into the implementation of a Rigid Body and Spring Model (RBSM) constituted by rigid elements linked with homogenized interfaces. In the homogenization step, a running bond elementary cell is discretized with 24 three-node plane-stress elastic triangular elements and non-linear interfaces representing mortar joints. It is shown how the mechanical problem in the unit cell is characterized by few displacement variables and how homogenized stress–strain curves can be evaluated by means of a semi-analytical approach. The second step relies on the implementation of the homogenized curves into a RBSM, where an entire masonry structure can be analyzed in the non-linear dynamic range through a discretization with rigid elements and inelastic interfaces. Non-linear structural analyses are conducted on a church façade interconnected with a portion of the perpendicular walls and on a small masonry building, for which experimental and numerical data are available in the literature, in order to show how quite reliable results may be obtained with a limited computational effort.     

Variational Characterization of a Quasi-rigid Body

The rigidity of a body usually is characterized by the kinematical assumption that the mutual distance between any two of its particles remains unaltered in any possible deformation. However, from this alone nothing can be said about the internal contact forces exerted between adjacent sub-bodies. Therefore, the determination and form of an internal state of stress for a rigid body is problematical. Here, we will show that by considering such a kinematical characterization as an internal constraint for an elastic body, the constrained body inherits the mechanical structure of the elastic parent theory, i.e., the internal constraint generates an associated set of Lagrange multiplier fields which can be interpreted as an internal constraint reaction pseudo-stress field with the same structure as the state of stress in the parent elastic body. Thus, although the final deformation is the same for both the rigid body and the rigidly constrained elastic body, the latter corresponds to a richer model and, to emphasize this distinction, we refer to it as a quasi-rigid body. While in equilibrium the pseudo-stress field of a quasi-rigid body will satisfy equations identical to the equilibrium equations for the stress field in the elastic parent theory, such equations are not, in general, sufficient to assure uniqueness. In order to overcome this indeterminacy, we consider the quasi-rigid body as the limit of a sequence of deformable bodies, where each member of the sequence is identified by a material parameter such that, as this parameter tends to infinity, the body to which it refers is rigidified. Our approach is variational, i.e., we consider a sequence of minimization problems for hyperelastic bodies whose elastic strain energy is multiplied by a penalty term, say 1/ε . As ε→?0, body distortions are more and more penalized so that the sequence of the displacement fields tends to a rigid displacement field, whereas the sequence of the associated stress fields tends to a definite non-zero limit. It will be shown that among all pseudo-stress fields that satisfy the equilibrium equations for the quasi-rigid body, the unique limit of the sequence as ε→0 minimizes a functional analogous to the complementary energy functional in classical linearized elasticity. This result permits its unique determination without having to consider the whole sequence of penalty problems.     

Modèles discrets de structures tissées : Analyse de stabilité et de drapé

A discrete model of a woven fabric structure is established, whereby nodes endowed with a mass and a rotational rigidity are connected by rigid bars to form a two-dimensional truss. The set of four bars that delineate a quadrilateral area is further endowed with a torsion deformation mode. The kinematics of the truss reproduces the large rotations and displacements encountered for real tissues. The equilibrium shape of such a structure is obtained as the minimum of its total potential energy versus the whole set of kinematic translational and rotational variables, accounting for eventual kinematic constraints due to contact with a rigid surface by the Lagrange multipliers method. A stability analysis is conducted, and the potentiality of the model is illustrated by fabric draping simulations. To cite this article: B. Ben Boubaker et al., C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 871–877.     

Modèles discrets de structures tissées : Analyse de stabilité et de drapéDiscrete models of woven structures: stability and draping analysis

A discrete model of a woven fabric structure is established, whereby nodes endowed with a mass and a rotational rigidity are connected by rigid bars to form a two-dimensional truss. The set of four bars that delineate a quadrilateral area is further endowed with a torsion deformation mode. The kinematics of the truss reproduces the large rotations and displacements encountered for real tissues. The equilibrium shape of such a structure is obtained as the minimum of its total potential energy versus the whole set of kinematic translational and rotational variables, accounting for eventual kinematic constraints due to contact with a rigid surface by the Lagrange multipliers method. A stability analysis is conducted, and the potentiality of the model is illustrated by fabric draping simulations. To cite this article: B. Ben Boubaker et al., C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 871–877.     

Elastostatics with non absolutely continuous data

The main problem of classical elastostatics is considered when given body forces and surface forces act on the body. The problem is studied in the case when the given forces are represented by general vector measures, i.e. when concentrated loads may be given on subsets either of the body or of its boundary. An existence and uniqueness (up to rigid displacements) theorem is proved. Conditions under which the energy integral is finite are given.     

On a Class of Deformations of a Material with Nonconvex Stored Energy Function∗

This paper considers the problem of finding the deformation of a nonlinear elastic layer contained between two infinite parallel rigid plates, each of which undergoes the same finite rotation, but about noncoincident axes. Each plane of the layer is assumed to rotate about a point whose position depends on its distance from the rigid bounding plates. The locus of these centers of rotation satisfies a differential equation which depends on the strain energy density of the material. In the case of a Mooney material, the locus is a straight line connecting the centers of rotation of the bounding plates, as is to be expected. It is shown that for a certain class of strain energy density functions, the solution is nonunique and consists of piecewise linear segments.     

Seismic behaviour of industrial masonry chimneys

This paper deals with the seismic behaviour of an unreinforced masonry chimney representative of the large number of chimneys currently in existence in many European areas which were built during the period of the industrial revolution. Maximum seismic intensity value that can be resisted in terms of peak ground acceleration and failure mode are the main goals. A 3D finite element model capable of reproducing cracking and crushing phenomena have been used in a non-linear analysis in order to obtain lateral displacements, crack pattern and failure mode for this type of construction. Earthquakes artificially generated for a low to moderate seismic intensity area from the response spectrum proposed by the codes have been tested on the structure obtaining failure mode, maximum stresses and displacements. Subsequently, the accelerograms generated were scaled until non-failure earthquakes were obtained.     

Frictionless contact between an elastic stamp and an elastic foundation

Summary Starting from the statical and kinematical basic equations and inequalities resp. we derive a (material independent) mixed principle of virtual work which includes the rigid body displacements of the stamp, the contact pressure and the surface displacements of the contacting bodies. For an elastic material a saddle functional of the Hellinger-Reißner type occurs from which complementary extremum principles are generated. Especially the force principle is well suited for the discretization of the originally continuous contact problem and is therefore used as a basis for the numerical realization as a mathematical optimization problem. As examples we consider rigid stamps (rectangle, sphere, cone) on a layered halfspace and a rectangular plate on an elastic halfspace. The modification for a beam on a nonlinear Winkler foundation is also discussed.

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Reibungsfreier Kontakt zwischen einem elastischen Körper und einer elastischen Unterlage

Übersicht Ausgehend von den statischen und kinematischen Grundgleichungen und Ungleichungen wird ein (materialunabhängiges) gemischtes Prinzip der virtuellen Arbeiten hergeleitet, das die Starrkörperverschiebungen des Stempels, den Kontaktdruck und die Oberflächenverschiebungen der sich beröhrenden Körper enthält. Für elastisches Material läßt sich ein Sattelfunktional vom Hellinger-Reißner-Typ angeben, aus dem komplementäre Extremumsprinzipien erzeugt werden. Insbesondere ist das Kraftprinzip für eine Diskretisierung gut geeignet und wird daher für die numerische Lösung als mathematisches Optimierungsproblem verwendet. Als Beispiele dienen starre Stempel (Würfel, Kugel, Kegel) auf einem geschichteten Halbraum, eine Rechteckplatte auf einem elastischen Halbraum sowie ein Balken auf einer nichtlinearen Winkler-Bettung.

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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. phil. Dr.-Ing. E. h. U. Wegner on the occasion of his 80th birthday     

Exact solution for mixed boundary value problems at anisotropic piezoelectric bimaterial interface and unification of various interface defects

The special mixed boundary value problem in which a debonded conducting rigid line inclusion is embedded at the interface of two piezoelectric half planes is solved analytically by employing the 8-D Stroh formalism. Different from existing interface insulating crack model and interface conducting rigid line inclusion model, the presently analyzed model is based on the assumption that all of the physical quantities, i.e., tractions, displacements, normal component of electric displacements and electric potential, are discontinuous across the interface defect. Explicit solutions for stress singularities at the tips of debonded conducting rigid line inclusion are obtained. Closed form solutions for the distribution of tractions on the interface, surface opening displacements and jump in electric potential on the debonded inclusion are also obtained, in addition real form solutions for these physical quantities are derived. Various forms of interface defect problems encountered in practice are solved within a unified framework and the stress singularities induced by those interface defects are discussed in detail. Particularly, we find that the analysis of interface cracks between the embedded electrode layer and piezoelectric ceramics can also be carried out within the unified framework.     

POLYNOMIAL SOLUTIONS TO PIEZOELECTRIC BEAMS(Ⅰ)--SEVERAL EXACT SOLUTIONS

For the orthotropic piezoelectric plane problem, a series of piezoelectric beams is solved and the corresponding exact solutions are obtained with the trial-anderror method on the basis of the general solution in the case of three distinct eigenvalues, in which all displacements, electrical potential, stresses and electrical displacements are expressed by three displacement functions in terms of harmonic polynomials. These problems are rectangular beams having rigid body displacements and identical electrical potential, rectangular beams under uniform tension and electric displacement as well as pure shearing and pure bending, beams of two free ends subjected to uniform electrical potential on the upper and lower surfaces.     

POLYNOMIAL SOLUTIONS TO PIEZOELECTRIC BEAMS (Ⅰ)——SEVERAL EXACT SOLUTIONS

IntroductionDue to its excellent piezoelectric properties,composites made of piezoelectric materialsare found widespread applications and attracted more attentions[1-10].Because of materialanisotropy and couplingbetween mechanical deformation and electric…     

Transition waves in bistable structures. II. Analytical solution: wave speed and energy dissipation

We consider dynamics of chains of rigid masses connected by links described by irreversible, piecewise linear constitutive relation: the force-elongation diagram consists of two stable branches with a jump discontinuity at the transition point. The transition from one stable state to the other propagates along the chain and excites a complex system of waves. In the first part of the paper (Cherkaev et al., 2004, Transition waves in bistable structures. I. Delocalization of damage), the branches could be separated by a gap where the tensile force is zero, the transition wave was treated as a wave of partial damage. Here we assume that there is no zero-force gap between the branches. This allows us to obtain steady-state analytical solutions for a general piecewise linear trimeric diagram with parallel and nonparallel branches and an arbitrary jump at the transition. We derive necessary conditions for the existence of the transition waves and compute the speed of the wave. We also determine the energy of dissipation which can be significantly increased in a structure characterized by a nonlinear discontinuous constitutive relation. The considered chain model reveals some phenomena typical for waves of failure or crushing in constructions and materials under collision, waves in a structure specially designed as a dynamic energy absorber and waves of phase transitions in artificial and natural passive and active systems.