DISCRETE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF SINGLE SPAN SKEW STONE MASONRY ARCHES

Masonry arch bridges are inherent elements of Europe’s transportation system. Many of these bridges have spans with a varying amount of skew. Most of them are well over 100 years old and are supporting traffic loads many times above those originally designed, but the increasing traffic loads may endanger their structural integrity so the need arises to understand the mechanical behaviour in order to inform repair and strengthening options. There are three main construction methods mostly used in such bridges. The differences in geometry lead to differences in strength and stiffness. The diploma work to be presented investigates the mechanical behaviour of single span masonry arches. The analysed construction methods were the so-called false skew arch, the helicoidal and the logarithmic method. The three-dimensional computational software 3DEC based on the discrete element method was used: this software allows for the simulation of frictional sliding and separation of neighbouring stone blocks. The behaviour of the structures was simulated under gravity and under an external full width vertical line load. Types of failure modes, stress levels at the joints will be compared and discussed in the diploma work. The minimum necessary thickness which can resist the self-weight of the skew arch was also determined. The investigated parameters of the skew arches were: method of construction, angle of skew, width of the arch, element shape and size, angle of friction.