Abstract

An analytical formulation was developed to simulate the earthquake behavior of wine barrel stacks. The model is cast using the fundamental steps of kinematics, action-deformation, and equilibrium of structural analysis. It assumes that interacting bodies are rigid and that the interaction forces between the bodies are properly represented by the use of nonlinear contact elements. Based on this theoretical model, it was possible to reproduce the overall behavior of the stack if appropriate contact element parameters are used. Contact elements are required to monitor the forces that are developed at the rack-ground and rack-barrel interfaces. It has been found that the maximum amplification of the normal stress on a body when the barrel stack is subjected to ground motions is about 3 times larger than the maximum stress due to self-weight. Furthermore, the properties of the physical contact elements were calibrated experimentally. Results of benchmark cases shows that the theoretical model is capable of representing the true collapse mechanism of the different stacks.