This paper deals with the collapse of the masonry cross-vault and dome, and it is focused on non-uniform (therefore non-symmetric), as well as localized loads. This situation is often found in practice, due to walls or columns resting on shells and supporting superstructures. The research work was in three stages. During the first stage, full-scale prototypes of masonry cross-vault and dome were tested up to the failure. Based on the experimental evidences, the ultimate behavior as well as the main events leading to the collapse of both the cross-vault and the dome were understood. During the second stage, the prototypes were strengthened using FRP reinforcements (laminates or fabric strips) bonded on the shell boundaries. This technique is advantageous from the architectonic point of view, since it does not imply any substantial alteration to the masonry shells, the major of which are of considerable architectural and historical importance, and in addition is not expensive. On the other hand, however, this technique is still rather unknown. The reinforcements were arranged on the basis of the results from the first stage. The strengthened prototypes were then tested up to the collapse. The enhanced collapse responses observed on these specimens validated the predicted behaviors. During the third stage, two models were developed. The first model was devoted to predict the collapse of the reinforced cross-vault, the second one to analyze the reinforced dome. The comparison between the results obtained by the models and those obtained by experiments exhibited excellent agreements. The research has proved that externally bonded FRP reinforcement represents an effective technique in order to rehabilitate masonry shells, since it ensures significant increase in the load-carrying capacity and structural behavior less uncertain and so more reliable to predict.
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