RoDiAn: a tool for kinematic and dynamic stability analysis of discrete blocks in masonry and engineered rock structures

Historic masonry buildings and engineered rock structures characterized by discrete block assemblies are susceptible to gravitational failures along pre-existing geological discontinuities within individual blocks, similarly to rockfall phenomena occurring in natural settings. Conventional rock slope stability workflows and software, developed for large-scale natural formations, are incompatible with the specific geometric and spatial needs of this application. This paper presents RoDiAn (Rock Discontinuity Analyzer), a MATLAB application that addresses these limitations through the analysis of 3D point clouds (3DPC). RoDiAn implements novel algorithms for validating whether plane intersections form wedges within block geometry, determining discontinuity-retaining underlying structure (e.g., a facade) interactions, calculating kinematic susceptibility indices adapted from the slope mass rating system, and computing safety factors through limit equilibrium analysis with automated volume and contact area determination. Validation against synthetic geometries and real-world data demonstrates computational accuracy; kinematic analysis shows complete agreement with industry-standard software with added spatial filtering capabilities. Application to sandstone blocks from an historical palace in Florence (Italy) successfully identifies multiple failure mechanisms with quantified resisting and driving forces. RoDiAn provides heritage conservation professionals and geoscientists with an accessible quantitative methodology based on free software complete of a graphical user interface.