Numerical modeling of a masonry arch structure

Abstract

To investigate the structural behavior and estimate the strength capacity of masonry arch structures, experimental testing can be challenging at large scales. In such a case, numerical modeling is considered as an interesting alternative. In this work, two ready-to-use modeling techniques are proposed. The first one is based on the detailed micro-modeling in which the brick and mortar were modeled using concrete damaged plasticity model and the brick-mortar interface was modeled by the surface-based cohesive behavior model. These constitutive laws are already implemented in the ABAQUS environment without the need for specific subroutines. The second technique is based on the homogenization approach to derive the equivalent characteristics of masonry, which is then modeled as one continuous element. Both techniques were used to simulate the experimental behavior of a masonry arch subjected to in-plane bending. Finally, comparison between experimental and numerical results of the two methods shows the capability of the proposed homogenization approach to simulate the behavior of masonry arch structures with a sufficient degree of accuracy and a reduced computational cost.