Dynamics of three-block assemblies with unilateral deformable contacts. Part 2: actual application

On the basis of the formulation of multibody dynamics with deformable contacts presented in Part 1, the dynamic response of the trilith (the simplest scheme of a colonnade belonging to a temple) to half-sine-wave pulse and to horizontal harmonic ground motion is analysed and the influence of bouncing and sliding on the type of motion is studied. Attention has been given to the dependence of the system response on the excitation amplitude and frequency, on the difference of friction between lintel-column and soil-column, and on the block slenderness. As far as half-sine-wave pulse is concerned, rest, stable motion and collapse have been identified; whereas, for harmonic excitation, rest or transient up to failure have been observed: during the transient a wide variety of responses up to chaotic motion has been exhibited.