Abstract
A detailed modelling approach to represent masonry at the meso-scale is proposed, based on the discrete element method, considering the nonlinear behavior of the joints and the units. The fracture of units is represented by the bonded-block concept, in which a random network of potential cracks is created, allowing the progressive development of failure mechanisms. For simplicity, only the 2D case is presented, but the extension to 3D is straightforward. A key component of the proposed model is a framework for a joint or interface constitutive model, including the post-peak softening range, taking into account the experimental fracture energies. In this model, the softening curves in tension or shear are defined by piecewise linear segments, calibrated to reproduce the most common masonry constitutive models. The essential issues involved in the application of bonded-block models to masonry are examined, namely the block shape, either Voronoi polygons or triangles; size; deformability; and the influence of the main constitutive parameters. Uniaxial compression tests are analyzed in detail. The simulation of a well-known experiment of a brick panel under shear shows the good performance of the proposed approach. The investigation results demonstrate the model’s capabilities and provide guidelines for its application.
Highlights
Masonry is a heterogeneous material composed of units, such as bricks, stones, or blocks of various materials and shapes, bonded together with or without mortar
The discrete element method (DEM) bonded-block model is composed of discrete blocks, separated by discontinuity surfaces of two types: (i) the real masonry joints and interfaces; (ii) the random network of discontinuities that define the potential cracks inside the units and the mortar
Constitutive models for joints in masonry structures are generally based on the concept of a zero-thickness interface, in which the deformation is characterized by the difference in displacements across the interface, designated as interface or joint displacements
Summary
Masonry is a heterogeneous material composed of units, such as bricks, stones, or blocks of various materials and shapes, bonded together with or without mortar. Infrastructures 2022, 7, 31 more detailed models are increasingly applied to more complex problems Both the finite element method (FEM) and the discrete element method (DEM) can address this type of model, in which the blocky structure of masonry is reproduced. At a finer scale of analysis, models of lab tests and small assemblages allow for a detailed representation of each component These are models that are intended to investigate fundamental aspects of behavior, providing insights into the outcome of experiments. In masonry, these detailed analyses at the meso-scale may address the fracture and breakage of the units or the mortar–unit interaction, mainly focusing on the analysis of lab experiments or structural components. The concept of bonded-block models for the detailed analysis of masonry at the meso-scale is examined. An application to a shear brick panel, previously analyzed by various authors with other numerical models is presented and the performance of the proposed approach is discussed
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