Trinidad bridge, built in 1402, the oldest bridge in Valencia for its Gothic ashlar masonry struc- ture, is located in front of the old entrance with the same name in the walls of Valencia. In the preliminary re- search phase…
Trinidad bridge, built in 1402, the oldest bridge in Valencia for its Gothic ashlar masonry struc- ture, is located in front of the old entrance with the same name in the walls of Valencia. In the preliminary re- search phase aimed at the Restoration of the Bridge, it is essential to know the historical-constructive evolu- tion that provides the keys for the recognition of its current situation of deterioration, in order to accurately approach its restoration. The Bridge presents, as most noticeable structural pathology, cracks that run parallel to the arches in their joint with the vaults, mainly in the end spans of the bridge. In this phase of analysis de- scribed here, we aim at recognizing the structural behavior of the bridge and the current resistance conditions of masonry, by means of the theoretical-practical simulation, with the purpose of determining the coherence of the results and the conditions of the failure of material identified. The results of the numerical analysis per- formed, coincide, to a large extent, with the real cracking conditions of the bridge.