FEM Analysis Considering stiffness of 3 Stepped Bracket Complex for ENGAKUJI SHARIDEN as a Historical Wooden Structure in Japan

Abstract

Engaku Temple has been built at Kamakura City nearby Yokohama in 1285. The SHARIDEN is one of the facitilies there in order to store the Buddha's bone and has been selected as Japanese national treasure. However, most of the original materials have been lost because of suffering from a fire in 1563. After that, the current SHARIDEN has been replaced by TAIHEI Temple which was also located in Kamakura. In the former study[1], the FEM model for SHARIDEN has been established as a space frame and the linear elastic analyses have also been executed. In the present study, the following targets will be prepared to analyze the structural behaviours in detail. (1) Reconfirm the coordinates of nodal points and member arrangement for the FEM model (2) The structural behaviours of 3 stepped bracket complex has been simulated with 3D FEM solid model to obtain the equivalent frame to the real bracket (3) Estimate more exact distribution of the vertical load on the top and lower roofs (4) Investigate the effect of the deterioration at the joints on the whole structural behaviours by considering bending springs arranged at the both ends of members. The numerical model has been assembled by CAD data originally created basing on the drawings edited by Kanagawa Prefecture. The number of unknowns reaches upto 13,000. The numerical model for 3 stepped bracket has also contains over 10,000 unknowns. Through above investigations, the structural features and several suggestions for reinforcements would be discussed for such an important structure.