Validating the Use of Graphical Thrust Line Analysis for Pier Buttresses: The Case Study of Amiens Cathedral

Graphical thrust line analysis emerges as the most appropriate method for studying pier buttresses in historic masonry structures, such as Amiens Cathedral, challenging the widespread misuse of continuous modeling techniques like photoelasticity and finite element methods. This study demonstrates that discontinuous approaches—specifically discrete element methods and graphical thrust line analysis—more accurately reflect the physical behavior of unreinforced masonry, resolving longstanding debates about structural stability, including the placement of pinnacles. By comparing results from two prior continuous models with new discontinuous analyses, the research validates graphical thrust line analysis as a reliable tool for assessing historic structures while questioning the validity of continuous methods in such contexts.

Kavanaugh, C., Morris, I. M., Napolitano, R., & Jorquera-Lucerga, J. J. (2017). Validating the Use of Graphical Thrust Line Analysis for Pier Buttresses: The Case Study of Amiens Cathedral. International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 11(6), 859–870. https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2017.1317883