ABSTRACT
In this paper, the structural behaviour of Persian brick masonry barrel vaults with open spandrels under uniformly distributed load over the entire structure, linear load at the centre of the middle pier, and linear load at the apex of one of the vaults is studied using non-linear finite element analysis. Seven different shapes have been considered for the cross-section of the vaults. Results indicate that the best position for the spandrel vaults to achieve the maximum load carrying capacity is the same level as the main vaults. The semi-circular vault has the best performance under uniform load and the pointed vault has the best behaviour under linear load.
