Collapse Risk Assessment of Long-Span Masonry Cloister Vaults Under Paradigmatic Crown Loading: A Heterogeneous Limit Analysis Approach with Stereotomy

This study presents a novel computational framework for assessing the structural behavior of historic masonry vaults by integrating advanced parametric modeling with kinematic limit analysis. The research addresses a critical gap in heritage conservation by quantifying how stereotomy fundamentally influences load-bearing capacity and failure mechanisms through an innovative coupling of the PoliBrick plugin, a geometric modeling tool, and a custom-developed Finite Element Limit Analysis (FELA) solver. Applied to a sixteenth-century cloister vault, the proposed methodology demonstrates that traditional pattern-insensitive numerical approaches may lead to inaccurate assessments of structural capacity, potentially resulting in either overestimation or underestimation. These findings challenge longstanding assumptions in masonry mechanics and highlight the need for pattern-specific evaluation protocols in conservation practice. By bridging advanced geometrical tools with structural engineering analysis, the research provides both methodological advances and actionable insights for preserving masonry vaults, a critical component of global architectural heritage increasingly exposed to seismic risk, structural deterioration, and changing loading conditions.