Rocking of Multiblock stone classical columns

This paper investigates the dynamic behaviour of the simplest structural element, the classical column, considered as a monolithic multiblock. In particular, we studied the behaviour of these structures under harmonic pulses of variable amplitude and frequency, tracing the rocking curves that represent the “dynamic identity card” of such structures. These curves were plotted by varying the quantities that influence the dynamics of the system: slenderness of the column (total height ratio of the column, H, and width of the base, B), the number of drums constituting the column, the contact properties (coefficient of friction, normal and tangential stiffness of the joint) and damping. The slenderness ratio range considered varies between H/B = 4 to H/B = 13, so as to cover all the columns belonging to the Doric and Ionic orders present in the Mediterranean basin. For the numerical analyses, it was used the Distinct Element Method (DEM) that, in the physics of multibody systems, allows us to study the dynamic response with high reliability of systems in which the size of the individual blocks can be compared with the overall size of the structure.