Numerical simulations of behaviour of medieval stone false vaults

Abstract

Stone masonry is one of the oldest materials used worldwide. Many building constructions were built of dry stone masonry without the use of mortar, for instance medieval temples in Angkor, Cambodia. There are false vaults, especially as the roofs of corridors and galleries or the entrance gates of temples. False vaults are created by overlapping horizontal layers of sandstone blocks. These vaults were used in areas where the static behaviour of the arch was not known. Research and modeling of masonry with mortar has already been sufficiently researched. For this reason, research teams have recently begun to model dry masonry. The motivation for modeling historical structures is the conservation of cultural heritage for the future generations.