Title: Reinforced stability-based design: a theoretical introduction through a mechanically reinforced masonry arch

Authors: Gabriel Stockdale

Addresses: Assistant in Civil Engineering, Department of Transportation, El Dorado County, Community Development Agency, 2441 Headington Road, Placerville 95667, California, USA; Formerly a Research Assistant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu 96822, Hawaii

Abstract: This work argues the potential to reintroduce stability-based design techniques associated with unreinforced masonry into the modern architect's vocabulary and structural engineer's skillset by introducing a theoretical reinforcement technique that removes the assumption of no slippage, transforms the loss of stability into a linear elastic failure, and maintains the unreinforced behaviour of masonry prior to the loss of stability. Limiting the scope to a semi-circular arch loaded with an asymmetric point load and applying the traditional masonry assumptions, a theoretical argument for a linear relationship between loading beyond stability, hinge rotations and an applied hinge resistance is developed. Then an innovative reinforcement technique utilising fibre reinforced polymers and the argued linearities is presented that removes the assumption of no slippage, transforms the loss of stability into a linearly elastic failure, and minimises its influence on the stable system. This technique is termed reinforced stability based design (RSBD). This work then looks at the application of the RSBD to the semi-circular arch, including numerical investigations into the various parameters that affect the developed linear relationship. Finally, a discussion on the potential to develop a generic and effective structural health monitoring for the RSBD arch is presented.

Keywords: fibre reinforced polymers; masonry arches; masonry mechanics; mechanical reinforcement; reinforced stability based design; structural health monitoring; structural safety; hinge rotations; hinge resistance; linear elastic failure; unreinforced behaviour.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMRI.2016.077469

International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation, 2016 Vol.1 No.2, pp.101 - 141

Received: 15 Aug 2015
Accepted: 03 Dec 2015
Published online: 02 Jul 2016 *

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