Model Calibration of a Historic Masonry Arch Bridge Using a Probabilistic Approach

Abstract

Masonry arch bridges are one of the most important structures built through time which have allowed overcoming the important transportation difficulties associated with the irregular ground topology. Many of these ancient constructions are still in use and in many cases subjected to heavier traffic loads. For a rigorous structural safety assessment, accurate numerical models are essential. However, this is not a trivial task due to the intrinsic complexity of the structural system, the inhomogeneity of the constituent materials, the existence of damage, etc. Therefore, calibration procedures supported on experimental data of the structure are a desirable tool to obtain a model that sufficiently replicates the real mechanical behavior. In this sense, in recent years, the use of model updating strategies based on deterministic approaches, such as optimization strategies, has acquired widespread use. In contrast, the use of other appealing approaches, such as probabilistic-based methods has received little attention. Thus, in this work, a probabilistic approach aimed at the calibration of numerical models of masonry arch bridges is presented. A case study located in Ávila (Spain) is considered for the implementation of the proposed methodology.