A Procedure to Investigate the Collapse Behavior of Masonry Domes : Some Meaningful Cases

Masonry domes represent an important part of the architectural heritage. However, the literature
about domes analysis seems less consistent than that referred to other masonry structures. The
collapses that have happened in recent years as a consequence of seismic actions or lack of
maintenance show the need for detailed studies. Here a limit analysis to evaluate the masonry
domes behavior is presented. An algorithm based on the kinematic approach has been developed
to evaluate the geometric position of the hinges that determine the minimum collapse load
multiplier. The proposed procedure is validated by a comparison with some meaningful cases—
the collapse of Anime Sante Church in L’Aquila, the collapse of San Nicolò Cathedral in Noto, the
crack pattern of San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane Church in Rome, and the analysis developed on
Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. The comparison with real cases shows a good agreement between the
model results and the phenomenological crack patterns.