Plastic deformation and fracture of masonry under biaxial stresses

Abstract

Masonry is a complex multicomponent composite composed of dissimilar materials (brick / stone and mortar). The process of masonry deformation under load depends on the mechanical characteristics of the basic composite materials, as well as of the parameters belonging to the elements, which define the link between brick and mortar being the structural elements. The paper provides an analysis of the experimental study results of masonry behaviour in two-dimensional stress state at primary stresses of opposite signs; identifies the mechanisms of masonry failure that are in compliance with the conditions of stress state. The work shows the key role that structural elements play in the formation of masonry failure processes. On the basis of failure mechanisms educed from the experiments, there was developed a discrete model of masonry. The processes and the corresponding strength criteria, which play a key role in the implementation of plastic deformation phase, have been detected. It has been shown that the plastic deformation of masonry under biaxial stresses occurs in case of the physical linear behavior of the basic materials (brick and mortar). It has been also substantiated that the plastic properties of masonry under biaxial stresses are determined by the processes occurring at the contact interaction nodes between brick and mortar in bed and cross joints. The values of the plasticity coefficients for masonry depending on the mechanical properties of a brick, a mortar and adhesive strength in their interaction have been obtained basing on the results of the performed numerical investigations.