Evolutionary fracture analysis of masonry arches: Effects of shallowness ratio and size scale

Masonry arch structures can be determined by means of a detailed analysis that takes into account the intermediate cracking stage, which takes place when the tensile strength of the material has been exceeded, even though the collapse mechanism has not formed yet. Such a hypothesis is based on a constitutive law that returns a closer approximation to the actual material’s behaviour. This paper presents the evolutionary analysis for the fracturing assessment of masonry arches. This method allows capturing the damaging process that occurs when the linear elastic behaviour’s conditions in tension no longer apply, and before achieving the limit conditions. Furthermore, the way the thrust line is influenced by the formation of cracks and the consequent internal stresses redistribution, representing the “fracturing benefit”, can be assessed numerically. Size scale effects are also taken into account, as well as the influence of the arch’s shallowness ratio.