Investigating the Relation between Thrust Networks and Thrust Surfaces for Masonry Domes subjected to Vertical Loads: A Case Study

Thrust Network Analysis and Thrust Surface Analysis are two well-established methods for studying the stability of vaulted masonry structures. Working within the framework of limit analysis and adopting the well-known Heyman hypotheses, both methods search for generalized statically admissible stress fields in historical masonry constructions. Although these two methods are sometimes considered to be linked, it is still unclear how this link can effectively be exploited from a practical standpoint. In this paper, we focus our attention on the conditions that enable establishing a proper connection between the two methods, which are based on different structural models, and we apply them to a case study, the dome of Pisa Cathedral. The analogies and differences in the results obtained are highlighted, and the feasibility in practice of a possible method combining thrust network and thrust surface is checked.