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Multi-objective optimization-based model calibration can be an intermediate solution between the computationally expensive probabilistic approaches and the single-objective optimization strategies that do not allow uncertainty quantification of the obtained solutions. This work addresses the multi-objective model calibration of two historic stone arch bridges using high-fidelity computational FE models. To implement the methodology, a five-step approach is proposed: experimental characterization through non-destructive testing techniques, non-parametric as-built geometric modeling, macro-finite element modeling, sensitivity analysis, and multi-objective optimization. The preferred solution among the Pareto front solutions is selected based on two different classical criteria, and the set of optimal solutions is further statistically analyzed to assess the validity of the identification process. The results show an average frequency error of 0.97 % and 0.70 % and an average MAC of 0.97 and 0.96 for each case study, respectively, thus highlighting the adequacy of the proposed methodology.

The paper presents an application of a risk‐based methodology – developed as a joint research between Politecnico di Milano and Regione Lombardia – for the prioritization of interventions and the subsequent monitoring of a masonry arch bridge affected by riverbed erosion. Firstly, available data on the regional bridge inventory is evaluated to assign a structural and hydraulic class of attention. Subsequently, onsite inspections and in‐depth documentary analysis were performed, and, finally, a quasi‐static structural and hydraulic monitoring system was installed to detect scour‐induced effects. The monitoring of piers rotation is performed using tiltmeters installed at the skewback of the arches. Environmental parameters, such as temperature, water level and riverbed changes, are also measured to check possible correlation with the monitored rotations. The results from the first two years of monitoring highlight abnormal changes in the rotationtemperature correlation of some piers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great diffusion of masonry arch bridges, sometimes of historical interest, requires the development of simple but effective methodologies for a preliminary but reliable evaluation of their static and seismic capacity. In this paper, the behaviour under longitudinal seismic actions is analysed by using the mechanism method. The masonry is supposed to have no tension strength but a rigid–perfect plastic behaviour with finite strength in compression. The arch is subject to permanent loads and to a horizontal acceleration acting in the longitudinal direction, which causes a horizontal inertial loading acting on the arch. Three hypotheses about the effects of the inertial actions of the backfill are considered, which correspond to three different real behaviours. A comprehensive numerical investigation is performed, which allows us to point out the influence of the geometrical and mechanical parameters on the seismic capacity of a masonry arch bridge. The results are given by means of diagrams that can be easily used for a preliminary seismic check of a masonry arch bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic analysis of historical masonry bridges is important for authorities in all countries hosting such cultural heritage assets. The masonry arch bridge investigated in this study was built during the Roman period and is on the island of Rhodes, in Greece. Fifteen seismic records were considered and categorized as far-field, pulse-like near-field, and non-pulse-like near-field. The earthquake excitations were scaled to a target spectrum, and nonlinear time-history analyses were performed in the transverse direction. The performance levels were introduced based on the pushover curve, and the post-earthquake damage state of the bridge was examined. According to the results, pulse-like near-field events are more damaging than non-pulse-like near-field ground motions. Additionally the bridge is more vulnerable to far-field excitations than near-field events. Furthermore, the structure will suffer extensive post-earthquake damage and must be retrofitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical masonry bridges constitute an essential part of the existing road and railway bridges. These bridges have been used for many years and have been preserved as a cultural resource. However, natural disasters have damaged or destroyed many of these historic bridges. In addition, it is crucial to ensure that historic bridges, which are still in use on some critical routes, provide safe service under increasing vehicle loads. Linear analysis approaches have been used to determine the behavior of existing historical bridges under vertical loads. However, these approaches do not give sufficient information and results to evaluate the actual capacities of bridges and result in an underestimation of the capacity of the bridges which is not appropriate from an economic point of view. Thus, further research focuses on the more advanced analysis to identify the real capacity of masonry arch bridges. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate load-carrying capacity and perform reliability analysis of an existing historical arch bridge using the response surface-based finite element model calibration process to present crucial references for the capacity evaluations of other similar masonry arch bridges. The experimental study was conducted to identify modal parameters of the masonry bridge by employing the operational modal analysis method under environmental effects. Using the modal parameters obtained from the experimental study, the approach that allows the initial finite element model of the bridge to be calibrated autonomously has been applied to create a more realistic finite element model of the bridge. Moreover, the vertical load-carrying capacity of masonry bridges with the help of nonlinear approaches was determined, and the nonlinear load-carrying capacity was used in the rating analysis of the bridge. Finally, rate ratios representing the actual performance of the bridge were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, several historical masonry arch bridges present a deficient state of conservation due to degradation processes induced by natural or human actions. Usually, these constructions have significant economic, cultural, and heritage value. Therefore, they shall be thoroughly assessed to verify their structural integrity and safety condition. For this purpose, reliability-based structural assessments are typically performed. However, the associated outcomes (i.e., reliability index and probability of failure) highly rely on the accuracy of the structural parameters uncertainty quantification. This work presents a study regarding the influence of the scattering of the arches' thickness dimensions in the load-carrying capacity assessment of the Cernadela Bridge, a historical stone bridge located in Galicia, Spain. The study first involved a comprehensive experimental campaign to characterize the outer and inner bridge geometry through geomatic techniques, i.e., terrestrial laser scanning and ground penetrating radar. Subsequently, a limit analysis model was developed, considering only the arches' outer (visible) data. From this initial structural assessment, a reliability index of 2.38 was obtained. The influence of the uncertain structural parameters, both geometric features and material properties, in the collapse load was investigated through a global variance-based sensitivity analysis (i.e., Sobol' indices) complemented by a surrogate modeling strategy based on the Kriging approach. Finally, the measured inner geometry of the arches was introduced in the computational model through Bayesian inference procedures. Thus, two new structural assessments were performed: first, by considering the updated distributions of all arches thicknesses, and second, by considering only the updated distributions of the non-influential ones. Reliability indexes of 1.51 and 2.33 were derived, thus highlighting the importance of a proper uncertainty quantification process and the relevance of the sensitivity analysis outcomes to identify the critical parameters on the bridge mechanical response.

Masonry arch bridges, despite their age, are still fundamental structures in transport networks throughout Europe, especially for railways. Furthermore, these bridges are often found in seismic-prone areas, such as Italy. Developing of specific fragility models is of fundamental importance for large-scale seismic risk assessments of these structures and related transport networks. Unlike other types of bridges, for which significant progress has been made in assessing their seismic vulnerability and fragility, comparable results for masonry arch bridges are not fully available. Moreover, a realistic risk assessment of masonry bridges should account for deterioration and damage, which most of these bridges have developed being more than 100 years old and often in a poor state of maintenance. Therefore, this work intends to provide seismic fragility models for two generalised classes of single-span masonry arch bridges, i.e. segmental and semi-circular, taking into account their potential degradation through 2 D finite-element modelling and parametric nonlinear static analyses. Material loss from the intrados of the arch, material degradation, and longitudinal cracks on the arch barrel vault are investigated as typical defects. Overall, the seismic fragility of masonry bridges increases appreciably when the effects of degradation are considered, the loss of material being the most influential defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, there are a large number of masonry arch bridges in service within railway networks. These old infrastructures have been designed for service loads in the past 100 years. Owing to increased service loads, it is essential to investigate the behavior of masonry arch bridges. Several empirical, analytical and numerical studies have been conducted to estimate the residual capacities of masonry arch bridges. The present study aims to employ the extended finite element method (XFEM) to obtain the ultimate capacities of old arch bridges for the first time. By adopting a non-geometric approach in fracture mechanics and defining initial structural defects, XFEM can easily predict the failure and ultimate capacity of a structure by using the crack growth pattern. Thus, the present study made use of two ageing railway arch bridges that are known to be cracked structures to build a three-dimensional XFEM model. The ultimate capacities and safety factors of the bridges are studied by defining several initial defects in different conditions. Finally, using experimental outcomes, the nonlinear finite element method along with the concrete damaged plasticity model are exploited to validate the results. The results indicate that XFEM agrees very well with the other methods. Considering its unique flexibilities, XFEM can be employed effectively and efficiently to analyze ageing cracked masonry arch bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the structural performance and strengthening of damaged masonry arch models representative of two longitudinal sections typical of existing single-span masonry railway bridges. The two masonry arch models were tested in laboratory under loading-unloading cycles of increasing vertical loads applied at 26% of the net span. The arch models previously damaged by imposing loading-unloading histories were tested in the strengthened condition. The strengthening used is an external post-tensioning system composed of two cables anchored to the arch intrados. Experimental results have shown an increase in the bearing capacity and ductility of the arch models after the application of the post-tension. Finally, the results obtained from the experimental campaign have been compared with the numerical ones, obtained by implementing a rigid-block analysis. • A low-cost post-tensioning system is proposed to strengthen masonry bridges. • Strengthened arch models representative of typical masonry bridges were tested. • The experimental results show increased capacity and ductility of the arch models. • The experimental results are compared with those obtained with rigid-block analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic structural assessment of masonry arch bridges is essential due to their cultural, economic and strategic importance and vulnerability. A realistic and rigorous structural assessment is necessary in order to protect the bridges and use resources carefully. At this time, there are no standardised or widely accepted assessment procedures, and the performance criteria for masonry arch bridges are not available. This study presents an overarching reliability-based seismic assessment methodology based on analytical modelling, laboratory testing and probabilistic assessment. It investigates the performance criteria concept and proposes performance limit states. The methodology is applied to a historical masonry arch bridge in Turkey. To consider rigorously the uncertainties in material properties and seismic input, probabilistic nonlinear analyses are conducted using a detailed 3D finite element model. The results are combined with the proposed limit state definitions to generate the capacity and demand distributions. Both distributions are used in Monte Carlo simulation and First-Order Reliability Method (FORM) to estimate the probability of exceedance and reliability indexes for each limit state. The proposed probabilistic assessment methodology will be a useful approach to obtaining more reliable information about masonry arch bridges' expected seismic performance and for better-informed decision-making, especially when designing intervention actions and post-earthquake scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an overview of the current state of railway masonry arch bridges that are in operation on Slovak Railways. The material of the vault is either stone or brick. It also presents the current possibilities of diagnostics, monitoring and evaluation of failures, the method of measuring selected material characteristics of masonry elements (especially the determination of compressive strength). Within the cooperation of our department and the Research and Development Institute of ŽSR, applications of diagnostic measurements and evaluation of the current state of these bridges are presented on selected bridge structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masonry arch bridges form an essential part of existing transport infrastructure around the world, including mainland Europe and the northeastern US. Recent extreme flood events highlight that masonry arch bridges spanning watercourses are vulnerable to flood-induced hydrodynamic and debris impact loads. When the flow interacts with the bridge superstructure, with or without discrete floating debris, a complex interaction is observed. This paper presents both experimental and numerical studies to investigate this complex phenomenon, including fluid–structure and structure–structure interactions. A typical single-span masonry arch bridge and large woody debris representing a tree log are investigated. Experimental observations from a scaled hydraulic model, with and without debris in the flow, are first presented for the case where the abutment of the bridge is fully submerged. Next, the capability of the numerical method smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) in simulating the hydrodynamic behaviour and debris impact observed in the experiment is discussed. Following this, both hydrodynamic and debris-induced pressure–time histories on the bridge are obtained using the SPH model. Results reveal that the debris impact leads to a significantly more localised load on the bridge compared to the situation with hydrodynamic load only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great diffusion of masonry arch bridges, sometimes of historical interest, requires the development of simple but effective methodologies for a preliminary but reliable evaluation of their static and seismic capacity. In this paper, the behaviour under longitudinal seismic actions is analysed by using the mechanism method. The masonry is supposed to have no tension strength but a rigid–perfect plastic behaviour with finite strength in compression. The arch is subject to permanent loads and to a horizontal acceleration acting in the longitudinal direction, which causes a horizontal inertial loading acting on the arch. Three hypotheses about the effects of the inertial actions of the backfill are considered, which correspond to three different real behaviours. A comprehensive numerical investigation is performed, which allows us to point out the influence of the geometrical and mechanical parameters on the seismic capacity of a masonry arch bridge. The results are given by means of diagrams that can be easily used for a preliminary seismic check of a masonry arch bridge.

• Axial-only deformable 4-node element for heterogeneous limit analysis modeling. • Suitable modeling of ring flexibility in masonry arch bridges is very necessary. • New element can produce an accurate load prediction compared with the on-site test. • Better ring flexibility will significantly reduce the power dissipation in backfill. • Different constitutive linearizations will highly affect the element deformability. This paper proposes a novel limit analysis block element to model the ring behavior in masonry arch bridges, with consideration of axial deformation induced by both bending and axial compressing motions. The governing formulation is established based on the kinematic theorem. After constructing the velocity field of the block element, the new compatibility condition is put forward, followed by a discussion of possible linearization for the element constitutive model. A new heterogeneous limit analysis formulation that accounts for the deformability of the elements is given at the end. For benchmarking purposes, the collapse of an 80-block arch is first investigated to understand the influence of using different constitutive linearizations. Then, the proposed element is applied to analyze the collapse of a practical bridge involving arch-fill interactions. The results indicate a great necessity of considering the deformability of the ring when analyzing the collapse of masonry arch bridges. Compared with previous experimental results of Prestwood Bridge, employing the rigid modeling for the ring will lead to a significantly overestimated load prediction (about 46.3%) while the proposed deformable brick element with quadrilateral-linearized constitutive can produce a very accurate prediction (bias within 1%). Adoption of the hexagon linearization will give rise to a comparatively inflexible block behavior and the corresponding ring performs analogous to the rigid case. Finally, the model proposed gets over the main shortcoming exhibited by a beam discretization of the ring, namely the potential over-flexibility of the bridge arch, induced by the simplification of the actual geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disasters are unavoidable and can cause serious damage to bridges, which may lead to catastrophic losses, both human and economic. Therefore, the assessment of bridges exposed to these events is of paramount importance to identify possible mitigation needs. The objective of the present work is to present consistent tools that may allow us to obtain the failure probability of a masonry arch bridge under a flood event, leading to local scour. Surrogate models were implemented to ease the computational cost of the probabilistic analysis. Moreover, a stochastic parametric analysis based on the geotechnical properties of the soil components of masonry arch bridges located in Portugal was performed. The results show the failure mechanism of the masonry arch bridges when subjected to scour-induced settlements and the influence of soil density on the failure probability obtained for different flow discharge values and angles of attack. The presented methodology and derived fragility curves can be used to assess bridge performance under a flood event, thus providing useful information for bridge management and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores flood-induced hydrodynamic and debris impact forces on masonry arch bridges using the numerical method smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). Masonry arch bridges make up a significant proportion of the bridge stock in many parts of the world, including the UK and US. Although the masonry arch is a durable bridge form, those spanning watercourses can be vulnerable to the effects of flooding. Where fast flood flows impinge on the bridge superstructure, highly transient behavior is observed, which can lead to violent interactions, especially where debris is carried by the flow. This paper investigates flood-induced impact pressures on a typical single-span masonry arch bridge subject to hydrodynamic action and discrete floating debris. Different debris orientations relative to the bridge span are considered. Results revealed that the presence of the debris can lead to impact pressures an order of magnitude greater than the hydrodynamic conditions alone. Furthermore, the influence of debris orientation at impact was significant, with the 90° orientation resulting in higher peak impact pressures with shorter impact duration compared with the 0°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical structures are cultural heritage constituents that convey the traces and characteristic features of civilizations to the present days. One of these structures, which are among the monumental artefacts, are historical bridges. To protect historical buildings, 3D photogrammetric documentation of these structures, detailed determination of geometric and material properties and performing computer-aided structural analysis using appropriate modelling techniques are very important. The aim of this study is to present an effective, reliable, and fast multidisciplinary approach for the analysis of historical masonry bridges. The aforementioned approach is presented as an example for the behavior of the recently restored historical Ayvalıkemer (Sillyon) masonry arch bridge under possible loadings. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) was used to determine the bridge geometry with high accuracy. The point cloud data obtained from TLS was simplified and a three-dimensional CAD based solid model of the structure was created. This solid body has been formed the basis of the macro model for structural analysis. CDP material model was used to describe the inelastic behavior of homogenized structure. Thus, an analysis was carried out which presents the structural behavior of a historical bridge with high accuracy and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calculation of load-carrying capacity of old railway masonry arch bridges as crucial infrastructures is one of the vital issues in the railway industry. The field test of the 2PL20 bridge reveals important properties such as the initial stiffness and cracking pattern, but the ultimate capacity of the bridge under static loading was not achieved due to the field limitations. Therefore, the present study aims to predict the total nonlinear response of the 2PL20 bridge up to the failure status. All the geometrical characteristics of the 2PL20 bridge are modeled precisely and the failure state is predicted using the three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis. Moreover, to determine the load-carrying capacity of the 2PL20 bridge, the behavior of materials is regarded nonlinearly in which the Williams and Warnke and the Drucker-Prager failure criteria are taken into account for concrete and soil materials, respectively. To obtain precise results of ultimate capacity of the 2PL20 bridge under field test, the vertical and horizontal displacements of the crown on the northern span are chosen as the calibration criterion and, consequently, the vertical and horizontal load-deformation curves are verified based on the field test results. The obtained results indicate that the load-carrying capacity of the 2PL20 bridge equals 8880 kN under the static field test. Finally, the calculated safety factor is equal to 3.2 and increasing axial load up to 35-ton is admissible based on UIC 776-1 for a 25-ton axial load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masonry arch bridges form an essential part of existing transport infrastructure around the world, including mainland Europe and the northeastern US. Recent extreme flood events highlight that masonry arch bridges spanning watercourses are vulnerable to flood-induced hydrodynamic and debris impact loads. When the flow interacts with the bridge superstructure, with or without discrete floating debris, a complex interaction is observed. This paper presents both experimental and numerical studies to investigate this complex phenomenon, including fluid–structure and structure–structure interactions. A typical single-span masonry arch bridge and large woody debris representing a tree log are investigated. Experimental observations from a scaled hydraulic model, with and without debris in the flow, are first presented for the case where the abutment of the bridge is fully submerged. Next, the capability of the numerical method smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) in simulating the hydrodynamic behaviour and debris impact observed in the experiment is discussed. Following this, both hydrodynamic and debris-induced pressure–time histories on the bridge are obtained using the SPH model. Results reveal that the debris impact leads to a significantly more localised load on the bridge compared to the situation with hydrodynamic load only.

Masonry arch bridges, which were generally built using brick and stone materials, still form a significant part of the highway and railway networks in the World. The subsoil deformability may considerably affect seismic damage mechanics of masonry arch bridges. The paper investigates the effects of nonlinear foundation soil behavior on the seismic damage mechanisms of brick and stone semicircular masonry arch bridges. Direct soil-structure interaction (SSI) approach is taken into account in the 3 D finite element models of the masonry arch bridge-foundation-soil interaction systems including contact, finite and infinite elements. Nonlinear behaviors of masonry units and homogenous soil domain are modeled using the Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) and Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria. The selected ground motion is matched and deconvoluted for hard and medium soil domains. Seismic damage mechanisms of brick and stone masonry arch bridges subjected to combined longitudinal and vertical deconvolved ground motion components are obtained for hard, medium, and partially hard and medium soil domains and are compared with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A probabilistic analysis approach for reliability-based assessment of masonry arch bridges is presented in this work. The methodology is tested on a medieval in-service construction located in Galicia, northwest of Spain. To estimate its ultimate load-carrying capacity, two different numerical approaches are employed; a three-dimensional non-linear finite element model and a two-dimensional rigid blocks limit analysis model. Aiming to alleviate the computational burden associated with the probabilistic analysis procedure, a surrogate modelling strategy is adopted. A complete understanding of the influence of model input parameters on the limit load of the structure is attained through the employment of global variance-based sensitivity analysis. The reliability assessment procedure is subsequently carried out, allowing to estimate the bridge failure probability. A difference of approximately 33% is obtained between the reliability index values drawn from both structural modelling strategies, so revealing the key role played by transversal effects on the strength capacity of masonry arch bridges. The proposed probabilistic assessment framework might be deemed as a useful tool, from which more reliable and objective information about the actual safety condition of existing masonry arch bridges can be derived, taking advantage of readily available numerical tools, but still demanding an affordable computational effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large portion of the existing masonry arch bridges in Italy are still in service in the infrastructure system and are located in a geographical area of high seismic risk. Most of them were built more than 100 years ago taking into account only gravitational loads during the design phase without any seismic analysis. For this reason, a seismic vulnerability assessment has been appointed as mandatory regular activity from the Italian government in order to define the priority of seismic retrofit interventions. In this study, a multi-span slender masonry bridge considered as the most vulnerable typology of masonry bridges to seismic action will be assessed. Then, the results obtained from three different seismic assessment approaches will be discussed and compared. In particular, two approaches based on different FE modeling and the last one built on rigid blocks analysis are considered. Finally, a detailed 3D finite element analysis allowed representing all the collapse mechanisms (global and local) of the bridges are presented. Simplified approaches, even though cannot describe all the collapse mechanisms of the bridges due to seismic action can lead to reliable results.

Natural disasters are unavoidable and can cause serious damage to bridges, which may lead to catastrophic losses, both human and economic. Therefore, the assessment of bridges exposed to these events is of paramount importance to identify possible mitigation needs. The objective of the present work is to present consistent tools that may allow us to obtain the failure probability of a masonry arch bridge under a flood event, leading to local scour. Surrogate models were implemented to ease the computational cost of the probabilistic analysis. Moreover, a stochastic parametric analysis based on the geotechnical properties of the soil components of masonry arch bridges located in Portugal was performed. The results show the failure mechanism of the masonry arch bridges when subjected to scour-induced settlements and the influence of soil density on the failure probability obtained for different flow discharge values and angles of attack. The presented methodology and derived fragility curves can be used to assess bridge performance under a flood event, thus providing useful information for bridge management and monitoring.

Most railway masonry arch bridges were designed according to codes that predate the 1950s; therefore, assessing their load-carrying capacity to comply with current codes is of the utmost importance. Nonetheless, acquiring the necessary information to conduct in-depth analyses is expensive and time consuming. In this article, we propose an expeditious procedure to conservatively assess the Load Rating Factor of masonry arch railway bridges based on a minimal set of information: the span, rise-to-span ratio, and design code. This method consists in applying the Static Theorem to determine the most conservative arch geometry compatible with the original design code; assuming this conservative geometrical configuration, the load rating factor, with respect to a different design load, is estimated. Using this algorithm, a parametric analysis was carried out to evaluate the Load Rating Factor of old arch bridges in respect of the modern freight load of the Trans-European Conventional Rail System, for different spans, rise-to-span ratios, and original design codes. The results are reported in easy-to-use charts, and summarized in simple, practical rules, which can help railway operators to rank their bridges based on capacity deficit.

The response up to collapse of masonry arch bridges is very complex and affected by many uncertainties. In general, accurate response predictions can be achieved using sophisticated numerical descriptions, requiring a significant number of parameters that need to be properly characterised. This study focuses on the sensitivity of the behaviour of masonry arch bridges with respect to a wide range of mechanical parameters considered within a detailed modelling approach. The aim is to investigate the effect of constitutive parameters variations on the stiffness and ultimate load capacity under vertical loading. First, advanced numerical models of masonry arches and of a masonry arch bridge are developed, where a mesoscale approach describes the actual texture of masonry. Subsequently, a surrogate kriging metamodel is constructed to replace the accurate but computationally expensive numerical descriptions, and global sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the mechanical parameters affecting the most the stiffness and load capacity. Uncertainty propagation is then performed on the surrogate models to estimate the probabilistic distribution of the response parameters of interest. The results provide useful information for risk assessment and management purposes, and shed light on the parameters that control the bridge behaviour and require an accurate characterisation in terms of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A non-destructive experimental campaign for masonry arch bridges is presented. • The MASW method allowed to characterize the mechanical properties of the infills. • A multidisciplinary method was used to create an accurate numerical model. • The PCE metamodel identified the most sensitive variables of the numerical model. This paper proposes a robust multidisciplinary method that combines geomatic procedures (terrestrial laser scanning and reverse engineering), geophysical methods (ground-penetrating radar and multichannel analysis of surface waves), sonic and impact echo tests, and ambient vibration approaches to generate accurate numerical simulations of masonry arch bridges. These methods are complemented by a robust finite element model updating method based on metamodeling global sensitivity analysis and a robust calibration strategy. The results obtained corroborate the feasibility of the proposed methodology with an average relative error in frequencies of 1.21% and an average modal assurance criterion of 0.93. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]