Influence of contact stresses on bearing capacity of traditional stone columns

Abstract

Traditional stone columns, built by linking the base, body of column and capital with a dowel in the column axis, are often characterized by typical cracks in connection zones that are continuously propagating. Despite numerous retrofit, this cracking can not be stopped, which points to an intrinsic defect. A systematic study involving a number of numerical models of variable complexity, and laboratory testing of quasi-real size samples, was initiated In order to determine the cause of the problem. Some results describing typical behaviour of columns are presented in the paper.