PSI - Issue 79

Aikaterini Marinelli et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 79 (2026) 182–189

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The structure was modelled inclusive of its inner chambers and was considered fixed at its base. The masonry volume was appropriately discretized, balancing computational costs with stability of the solution, generating a mesh of 71.222 quadratic tetrahedral elements. Combinations of self-weight, live load (facilities and equipment), wind and wave loads appropriate for the area were applied (Fig. 3b-d), as per values stated in the previous section.

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Fig. 3. Lighthouse model features regarding a) materials, and boundary conditions: b) self-weight, live loads and c) wind, d) wave loads

The numerical model serves as a valuable tool for generating original data on computed displacements and stress distributions along the height of the structure. It complements analytical calculations and visual inspection-based assessments of the structure’s current condition. The model outputs , specifically resultant reactions, stress fields, and deformations, were evaluated in relation to expected macroscopic response patterns and benchmarked against data reported for similar structures in the literature. The first basic scenario evaluates the response of the lighthouse under dead and live loads from facilities and equipment only. The vertical normal stress distribution reveals that the sandstone areas of the structure’s main body experience the highest compressive stresses, but the level of stress everywhere is smaller than the intrinsic strength. The displacement distributions confirm the largest vertical displacements towards the top and the largest horizontal ones (x-direction) around locations where spaces for the rooms exist (Fig. 4).

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Fig. 4. A ssessment of the model’s output by distributions of a) vertical normal stresses, b) vertical displacement, c) horizontal displacement