An approach to the positioning of FRP provisions in vaulted masonry structures

In the paper, one starts from a theoretical formulation aimed at analysing masonry vaults by selecting, in an inverted approach, families of load shapes that may be equilibrated by sets of admissible solutions, in order to develop an operative method for the positioning of FRP reinforcements in masonry vaulted constructions. On the basis of this premise a strategy is outlined for identifying the areas of the vault to be selected for introducing the FRP provisions. As shown in the numerical investigation, higher intensities of the stress state are then allowed by the introduction of the reinforcement and the local relaxation of some of the constraints of the problem is possible. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.