System analysis of Neo‐Gothic vaults / Systemanalyse neugotischer Gewölbe

From the middle of the 19th century until the beginning of World War I, many buildings were built in the Neo‐Gothic style. In this period, Gothic elements were built regarding the former needs to save material. These lightweight and thin vaults are often relatively fragile support systems. They tend to show systemic damages in the form of significant crack patterns in the vault caps and arches. In the research project Preservation of Neo‐Gothic vault structures, typical damages of Neo‐Gothic vaulted structures are analyzed with the objective to find sustainable and rehabilitative measures. In this context, since 2011, numerical and experimental studies have been carried out on a reference structure. Measured values of a 3D laser scanning, including all the imperfections of the structure, provide the basis of the geometry model, created for the finite element simulation. The system behavior was studied experimentally in the non‐critical load range with a load test for the calibration of this numerical model. In this paper, the project framework as well as the implementation and the evaluation of the load test are presented. In further papers, the transfer of the geodetic measurement data to the numerical model and the consideration of the load test results within a realistically finite element simulation will be addressed.