Structural Analysis and Retrofitting of Historic Masonry Vaults Through a BIM to FEM Approach

The structural assessments and retrofitting design of historic masonry structures require the collaboration of various disciplinary figures, each contributing specific expertise and sharing a common dataset, including historical documentation, geometric characteristics, and diagnostic investigations. In this context, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become widely adopted, enabling a centralized data management and professional coordination. Nonetheless, current BIM software exhibits significant limitations in supporting the structural analysis of masonry buildings, thus necessitating the use of specialized external analysis tools. This study focuses on vaulted masonry structures, which present specific difficulties in both BIM modeling and structural evaluation. A new software tool integrating a generative modeling approach through visual scripting software has been implemented in a BIM environment. This tool enables direct data exchange between BIM and finite element models (FEM) using a continuous homogenised masonry approach, automating and optimising the data transfer process for structural modeling and analysis. The proposed procedure has been tested on a real case study for which several structural reinforcement solutions were proposed using a FEM solver specifically developed for masonry structures. The novel tool provides a direct link between BIM and structural analysis software in the context of historic buildings, significantly extending the potential of the BIM model, which can be used as an interactive database and as a tool for designing structural analyses and managing retrofitting.