Unified Yield Criterion for Masonry and Concrete in Multiaxial Stress States

Abstract

In this paper, failure test results of brick masonry and concrete under biaxial stress state, and of concrete under triaxial stress state, are analyzed. In particular, in the biaxial compression stress state masonry is found to behave as an isotropic material. The pertinent failure interaction curve in terms of principal stress components can be expressed by an ellipse or a parabola. Because masonry can be conceived as a conglomerate material, as a concrete, formed by coarse aggregates (bricks) and cement paste (mortar joints), a generalized failure criterion in the form of an elliptical curve valid both for masonry and concrete in compression biaxial state is provided. In the case of the triaxial compression stress state, from an analysis performed on the test results available for concrete, a prediction of the hydrostatic compressive strength is derived, and a possible form of the limit surface in the principal stress space is hypothesized.