Three-dimensional analysis of masonry vaults subjected to differential settlements

In this paper, the three-dimensional analysis of masonry vaults subjected to differential settlements is presented. A representation through NURBS shell elements is followed. Elements are idealized as rigid blocks and jumps of displacement can occur only at interfaces. Starting from a known displacement at the external boundary, the overall displacement field is determined through standard linear programming formulations. A mesh adaptation governed by a Genetic Algorithm is then applied to find the shape of the mechanism deriving from the settlement. The procedure is here applied on a historical barrel vault and results are compared with previous experimental tests.