Numerical Analysis of the Cracking State in Masonry Walls of Historical Heritage Buildings

Abstract

Historic buildings represent a fundamental part of cultural heritage. Most of the historic buildings were built with masonry walls. A common problem in masonry is the development of cracks caused by settlement of walls or columns. The study of solutions that attempt to repair or reinforce the cracking state with the aim of recovering the structural capacity of the building is of great interest. The finite element method enables the analysis of reinforcements in order to evaluate their behavior and efficiency through the simulation of non-linear effects, both material and geometry. This work proposes to study the behavior of a masonry wall and the propagation of cracks that can appear in different types of settlements. A repair and reinforcement proposal is analyzed from the point of view of the stress redistribution in the wall induced in the new structural configuration.