Author(s)

M.E. Stavroulaki & G.E. Stavroulakis

Abstract

Unilateral contact analysis and failure prediction in stone bridges M.E. Stavroulaki' & G.E. Stavroulakis2 I~pplied Mechanics Laboratory, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece, 2~e~avtment of Mathematics, Division of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, University of Ioannina, Greece and Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University, Braunschweig, Germany Abstract Unilateral contact analysis with friction can be performed by general purpose finite element programs, provided that the user has basic theoretical background knowledge. These mechanisms are of great importance for the safety evaluation and structural rehabilitation of monuments. This is demonstrated by the investigation of some damage scenarios for a stone bridge. 1 Introduction Mechanics of stone structures built without reinforcement is a challenging field of applications. The study of the masonry arch has a long tradition in the engineering literature [I]. Although some of these monuments would not fulfill the re

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