3D hybrid modeling approach combining the finite and discrete element methods: Validation based on masonry shear wall tests

Abstract

The masonry structures represent a remarkable portion of the world’s built heritage. The preservation of these buildings requires a multidisciplinary diagnostic approach that includes a structural assessment to estimate their stability. However, this task remains difficult because of the high nonlinearity behavior of the masonry material and the complexity of the geometries of this type of building. For this reason, several robust modeling strategies have been developed. Among these strategies, block-based models (BBM) based on the discrete element method and more specifically the NSCD “Non Smooth Contact Dynamics” allows to take into account the actual geometrical texture of masonry. However, in this type of approach, blocks are generally rigid or elastic and nonlinearity appears only at the interfaces between blocks governed by cohesive frictional laws. In this study, a new hybrid approach is proposed. It consists of integrating a model combining (i) a frictional cohesive zone model “FCZM” describing the block-mortar interface and (ii) a quasi-brittle damage model associated with the block while (iii) the elasticity of mortar joints is explicitly taken into account in the FCZM model by adding a linear spring in both normal and tangential directions. Thus, avoiding the use of extended blocks and corresponding homogeneous properties. The validation of this numerical approach is carried out on the basis of an experimental campaign on masonry shear wall test subjected to compression.