Structural Assessment of a 17th-Century Masonry Vault with Acoustic Emissions and Numerical Techniques

We describe the experimental and numerical assessment of a seventeenth-century masonry vault, which was required because of a change in use of the upper floor. During the in situ load test, we recorded the acoustic emissions from the vault, as well as displacements of the vault and strains in the steel rods. We compare the experimental data with the numerical results obtained from finite element modeling of cracking and crushing. After validation, the model allows us to assess the ultimate load-bearing capacity of the vault.