Title: DEM numerical approach for masonry aqueducts in seismic zone: two valuable Portuguese examples

Authors: Alberto Drei; Gabriele Milani; Gabriela Sincraian

Addresses: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, ABC, Technical University of Milan, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan 20133, Italy ' Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, ABC, Technical University of Milan, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milan 20133, Italy ' Vancouver Strategy Deployment Team, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Formerly with Department of Civil Engineering, DeCivil, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal

Abstract: Two engineering applications of the distinct element method to the analysis of historic masonry aqueducts in Portugal are presented. The commercial software Universal distinct element code is utilised to analyse Águas Livres in Lisbon and Amoreira in Elvas aqueducts, modelling two meaningful portions of the structures by means of distinct blocks and frictional interfaces. The aqueducts portions are assumed subjected to several different earthquakes with variable intensity and frequency contents, in order to have an insight into their non-linear behaviour when subjected to different accelerograms and estimate the seismic vulnerability by means of non-linear dynamic computations.

Keywords: arch structures; case studies; masonry aqueducts; nonlinear dynamic analysis; DEM; distinct element method; seismic zones; earthquakes; Portugal; historic aqueducts; modelling; distinct blocks; frictional interfaces; seismic vulnerability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMRI.2017.082392

International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation, 2017 Vol.2 No.1, pp.1 - 29

Received: 04 Mar 2016
Accepted: 10 Jul 2016
Published online: 22 Feb 2017 *

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