Assessment of masonry arches and domes by simple models

摘要

The increase in the computational capabilities in the last decade has allowed numerical models to be widely used in the analysis, leading to a higher complexity in structural engineering. This is the reason why simple models are nowadays essential because they provide easy and accessible understanding of fundamental aspects of the structural response. Accordingly, this article aims at showing the utility and effectiveness of a simple method (i.e., the load path method) in the interpretation of the behaviour of masonry arches and domes when subjected to gravitational and symmetrical loads.