IVANCIC, SARILYN1; BRUNE, PHILIP2; PERUCCHIO, RENATO3

1) Graduate RA, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, swayngim@me.rochester.edu

2) Graduate RA, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, currently with DuPont Engineering and Research Technology, pbrune@gmail.com

3) Professor, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, rlp@me.rochester.edu

A concrete damage plasticity model for nonlinear FE analysis is developed to simulate the static and dynamic response of monumental vaulted structures built with pozzolanic concrete (opus caementicium) in Imperial Rome. The inelastic portion of this quasi-brittle material is represented in tension by a bilinear softening law. The tensile strength σt, the fracture energy Gf, and the tensile damage factor dt are numerically determined from a series of experimental arc-shaped three-point bending tests on recreated Roman pozzolanic mortar samples. The inelastic compressive behavior is characterized by a hardening/softening response curve derived from experimental tests on actual opus caementicium available in the literature. These damage plasticity parameters are used in Abaqus to analyze the structural response of the Frigidarium of the Baths of Diocletian under gravitational loads and lateral accelerations. The results give insights on the structural role of monolithic columns and flanking shear walls in supporting the concrete vault.

Keywords: Roman concrete, opus caementicium, concrete damage plasticity, inelastic tensile and compressive behavior, nonlinear FE structural analysis, Baths of Diocletian.