Test on stone masonry arch at Bridgemill - Girvan

The objectives of the test were, firstly, to determine the strength of the arch under a line load applied at one of the quarter points, to measure the displacements of the structure as the load was increased incrementally and to record the formation of cracks during the test. The second objective was to compare the observed behaviour with the results of calculations by various theories which have been proposed. The theories were: elastic methods, the MEXE method based on the elastic approach, the mechanism method, the finite element analysis method, and the model analysis. The results of the test are discussed as regards load-deflection relation, initial cracking, ultimate load behaviour, and acoustic emission observations. The results are compared with calculated results and with model test results.