Viscoelasticity and damage model for creep behaviour of historical masonry structures

This paper presents a continuum model for the simulation of the viscous effects and the long-term damage ac- cumulation in masonry structures. The rheological model is based on a generalized Maxwell chain representation with a constitutive law utilizing a limited number of internal variables. Thanks to its computational efficiency, this approach is suitable for the analysis of large and complex structures. In the paper, the viscous and damage models are presented and their coupling is discussed. The FE simulation of the construction process of the representative bay of Mallorca Cathedral is presented, together with the analysis of the long-term effects. The parameters of the model are tentatively calibrated on the basis of the time-dependent viscous deformations detected during the cathedral monitoring. detailed. The application of the model to the numerical study of a representative bay of Mallorca Cathedral is discussed. The procedure to identify the parameters that define the vis- cous and damage model, starting from the experimental monitoring activity, is also described. The parameters of the model have been calibrated using a 5-year monitoring pe- riod. In spite of it, the study has mostly a tentative character given the important uncertainties and difficulties involved. One of the main difficulties is found in the estimation of the initial deformation of the structure after construction. In the present study, an attempt towards an estimation of this de- formation is carried out through a sequential analysis involv- ing two construction phases suggested by the historical re- search carried out on the building. The structure shows significant deformation which, ac- cording to previous studies (12), can be related with the combined effects of construction process undergoing delicate intermediate stages, long-term deformation and geometric non-linearity. The research presented aim to explore the vi- ability of a numerical simulation of deformation and damage taking into account these combined effects.

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