Contributions on Refined Modelling of Stone Arch Bridges

Abstract

This paper reports on the numerical simulation of the structural response of a single span stone arch railway bridge under incremental static loading representing real trains. The study aimed at identifying adequate numerical modelling strategies to simulate the bridge structural behaviour by means of computational resources, based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and Distinct Element Method (DEM), taking into account the nonlinear behaviour of the bridge materials and suitable conditions for the geometrical discretization. The bridge modelling was supported by experimental data gathered from in situ and lab testing obtained within the framework of the StonArcRail project. (c) Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.