|
|||||
|
|
Failure Resistance of the Historic Stone Bridge Structure of Charles Bridge. I: Susceptibility to Nonstress Effects |
|
| Authors: | Jiri Witzany Tomas Cejka Radek Zigler |
| Affiliation: | 1Rector Emeritus, Head of Dept. of Building Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical Univ. in Prague, Thakurova 7, Prague 6, 166 29, Czech Republic. E-mail: witzany@fsv.cvut.cz 2Lecturer, Dept. of Building Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical Univ. in Prague, Thakurova 7, Prague 6, 166 29, Czech Republic. E-mail: cejka@fsv.cvut.cz 3Lecturer, Dept. of Building Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical Univ. in Prague, Thakurova 7, Prague 6, 166 29, Czech Republic. E-mail: zigler@fsv.cvut.cz |
| Abstract: | The monitoring of deformations of the stone structure of Charles Bridge in Prague proved the gravity and relevance of nonstress effects (temperature, moisture content) on cyclic deformations and permanent strain accompanied by a gradual disintegration of its stone masonry, growing tilt of the breast walls, and development of cracks in the masonry of the stone bridge structure. Each deformation cycle is accompanied by a gradual growth in permanent deformations. The “unmanifested” primary deformation due to, e.g., a temperature change causes a mechanical state of tension, and it is mainly the tensile stresses thus arising that contribute to the development of tensile cracks in the stone masonry. |
| Keywords: | Bridges Historic sites Stones Damage Deformation Concrete slabs Moisture Czech Republic |