FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF OLD MASONRY STRUCTURES

Abstract

The primary objective of the present study is to do the analysis of stone masonry structure using 3D- Finite element method. In present study Suraj Pole is taken as a case study. This structure showed serious distresses at some places, due to settlement at the foundation level. In this present study total survey of Suraj Pole was done using the Total Station and tape. Primary survey of the cracks including the location and extent of distress was also done. Different stone and mortar samples were collected from the site for finding out the different engineering material properties in laboratory. 3-D AUTOCAD drawings were drawn using the data of Total Station, to find out the different elevations and dimensions of Suraj Pole. AUTOCAD drawings for different floor plans were drawn using the data of tape survey. On the basis of these drawings the modeling of the structure was done in ABAQUS 6.9.3. The different material properties required for the analysis, were found out using the laboratory testing data and referring some literature. The structure was then analyzed for dead load using non linear Finite element analysis. Different linear analyses were performed for finding out the location and amount of settlement at foundation level. On the basis of these anlysis, the cases which gave cracks closest to the crack survey of the Suraj Pole, were shortlisted for the final nonlinear anlysis with Brittle Cracking model in ABAQUS.6.9.3. ii