Advanced parametric study of three-pinned steel arches

Resumo

The arches are structural elements widely used from antiquity to the present times, since these elements
generally present an increase in rigidity due to their curvature, outstanding in the use of drainage structures and
vaults. Arches are characterized by a strongly nonlinear behavior, being an important target of study to know the
structural behavior and to guarantee reliability and safety of structures that have such an element. Thus, this work
focuses on the parametric study of three-pinned arches with physical and geometric nonlinearities. To investigate

the complete behavior, first-order elastic (FOE), second-order elastic (SOE), first-order inelastic (FOI) and second-
order inelastic (SOI) analyses are performed using the computer software MASTAN2. Therefore, the influence of

the geometric and physical parameters, the arch’s shape, the boundary conditions, and the stiffness of three-pinned
arches are evaluated. The results obtained indicate under which conditions the arches present the better behavior
performance in terms of stability and resistance.