ABSTRACT
In the consolidation of masonry arches and vaults the best design choice needs to provide a uniform compression between the masonry blocks, with minimum addition of mass and without any change to the actual geometry. This chapter aims to develop an innovative technique for the consolidation of masonry arches, vaults and domes, called Reinforced Arch Method (RAM). This technique consists in modifying the loads acting on the structure through the placement of post-tensioned steel cables, either at the extrados of the arch or at the intrados. The main purpose of the RAM is to modify the distribution of loads acting on the arch, vault or dome so that the combination of the old loads plus the new loads can be the "right one" for the given and known geometry of the masonry structure. Numerical and experimental tests demonstrated that RAM works in presence of vertical loads, and it offers a significant contribution against horizontal seismic loads too.
