Stress and Displacement Estimates for Arches
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 137, Issue 1
Abstract
This paper presents analytical estimates of the behavior exhibited by curved, archlike structures under radially directed and gravitational line loads. The behavior is shown to range from elementary beam bending at one end to a state of pure compression at the other, and its behavior can be tracked by an arch rise parameter that is a function of the arch’s semivertex angle, radius and thickness. The principal results are useful estimates of the dependence of the major displacements and stress resultants on the arch rise parameter. The results also offer some insight into the assumptions underlying Robert Maillart’s arch designs.
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Acknowledgments
The writers appreciate interesting conversations with Nikolas Sherrow-Groves, HMC ’08, that helped stimulate this line of inquiry, and they are also grateful for several thoughtful and constructive reviews.
References
Billington, D. P. (1979). Robert Maillart’s bridges: Art of engineering, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.
Dym, C. L. (1990). Introduction to the theory of shells, Hemisphere Publishing, New York.
Dym, C. L. (2002). Stability theory and its applications to structural mechanics, Dover, Mineola, N.Y.
Dym, C. L., and Shames, I. H. (1973). Solid mechanics: Variational approach, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Heyman, J. (1995). Stone skeleton: Structural engineering of masonry architecture, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Sanders, J. L. (1963). “Nonlinear theories for thin Shells.” Q. Appl. Math., 21, 21–36.
Schreyer, H. L., and Masur, E. F. (1966). “Buckling of shallow arches.” J. Engrg. Mech. Div., 92(4), 1–19.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 137 • Issue 1 • January 2011
Pages: 49 - 58
Copyright
© 2011 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 14, 2009
Accepted: Jun 29, 2010
Published online: Jul 1, 2010
Published in print: Jan 2011
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