Abstract:
Masonry structures, whether made of stone or brick, are a prominent feature of France’s architectural heritage. Their aesthetic appeal, quality, and durability, as well as considerations of safety and resource conservation, are all reasons driving preservation efforts. However, the heterogeneity and anisotropy of masonry make these structures difficult to model, particularly in the event of accidental loads. As part of the ANR Menhir project, this thesis aims to contribute to our understanding of the behavior of stone bridges subjected to foundation settlement.
During this seminar, the results of two ongoing experimental campaigns will be presented. The first involves a 1:50 scale model of a two-arch bridge, whose ease of implementation has allowed for a large number of different tests to be conducted. The second involves loading a 1:5 scale stone bridge model during support settlement. The technical challenges, both in its construction and in its image-based instrumentation, will be discussed, as well as the comparison between the observed results and those obtained from numerical models (limit analysis and finite element analysis).
Short bio:
During my studies in civil engineering, I developed a keen interest in the preservation of built heritage, as I am convinced that it is a key tool for addressing the social and environmental challenges associated with construction. Currently a second-year PhD student in the Multi-Scale team, I aim to contribute to this goal by developing modeling tools for stone bridges based on experimental results.
