ABSTRACT
A model based on the kinematic approach of limit analysis is here described and applied to analyze barrel arch bridges up to collapse. The approach extends concepts of the Discontinuity Layout Optimization (DLO), formulated by Smith and Gilbert (2007), applied for two-dimensional geotechnical, slabs and arch bridges to the three dimensional geometry and structural response of a cylindrical shell. This is done by describing the barrel structure with nodes connected to each other by the possible fracture lines and imposing compatibility and associated flow rules for rotation, sliding and twist. The simplified model of a bridge is formulated according to the component structural analysis proposed by the Italian CNR DT213/215. Experiments on masonry barrels up to collapse are considered as benchmark for the application of the model, including straight and skew barrels.
