Numerical investigation of the contribution of metallic dowels to the stability of multi-drum columns

Abstract

Remnants of Greek Temples are found all over the Mediterranean, surviving in most cases in the form of free-standing columns. In many cases the drums are placed on top of each other without any connection, whereas in some cases there exist metallic dowels between the drums. The aim of this work is to investigate the contribution of these dowels to the overall stability of multi-drum columns. For that, the paper studies numerically the complex 3D dynamic response of multi-drum columns with dowels between the drums, by using the FE code MARC. The studied columns are part of the colonnade system of the ancient Messene Gymnasium in Greece. In the 3D models, which are based on archaeological data, special attention is given to the modelling of the metallic dowels which were used to connect adjacent drums. The columns are subjected to sinusoidal base excitations having different acceleration amplitudes and different frequencies. © 2022 The Authors