Assessment of 3D Linear Elastic Masonry-Like Vaulted Structures

A novel approach is adopted to assess the static behavior of vaulted structures, such as cantilevered masonry stairs, assuming a linear elastic no-tension material model. Masonry is substituted by an equivalent orthotropic material whose elastic properties vary locally and with a negligible stiffness where tensile strain occurs. In order to recover a tension-free state of stress, an energy-based minimization procedure is carried out to establish the distribution and the orientation of the equivalent material for a given compatible load. The capability of the approach in defining purely compressive stress solutions in masonry walls under dead load and both in-plane and out-of-plane live loads has already been assessed. A meaningful application to a cantilevered masonry stair is here presented; the results are in good agreement with those available in the technical literature on historical masonry constructions.