A Combinatorial Analysis for the Assessment of the Optimal Tie Rods’ Configuration in Historical Masonry Buildings

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Retrofitting and strengthening measures are crucial for preserving historical masonry structures against earthquakes.Tie rods are often the preferred solution due to their effectiveness, feasibility, and cost efficiency.Additionally, it allows to minimise architectural impact, especially for historical buildings.A comprehensive combinatorial analysis has been conducted within a limit analysis-based approach.Such an approach discretises the structure using hexahedron elements with quadrilateral interfaces, subjecting it to various input loads including seismic ones.The procedure explores all possible retrofitting configurations by evaluating different arrangements of the tie rods by varying the anchoring points of the bars connecting opposite facades of the building.A tree-shaped multi-stage algorithm is adopted to reduce the research domain and identify the optimal retrofitting strategy.Effectiveness of each configuration is evaluated using a mechanical parameter -the velocity indicator -linked to power 1