Abstract
In this chapter, through some illustrative examples, the applicability of the Discrete Finite Element Method (DFEM) to analysis of unreinforced masonry structures such as rock pillars, open rock slopes, underground openings, tunnels, fault propagations, and fault-structure interactions is examined and discussed. In the numerical study, the behavior of contacts and blocks is assumed to be elasto-plastic or elastic. The Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion, representing material behavior of contacts, is implemented in the developed codes for DFEM used in the analysis. The secant stiffness method with the updated Lagrangian scheme is employed to deal with non-linear behavior. The constant strain triangular element with two degrees of freedoms at each node, formed by properly joining the corners and contact nodes of an individual block, is adopted for finite element meshing of the blocks. The DFEM provides an efficient and promising tool for designing, analyzing, and studying the behavior of unreinforced masonry structures.
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