Continuum Model for Masonry: Parameter Estimation and Validation

TLDR

The paper introduces a novel yield criterion that accounts for varying strengths along each material axis. The model employs this criterion with distinct fracture energies for tension and compression, and demonstrates its ability to capture the inelastic behavior of orthotropic masonry through proposed experimental tests. The model accurately reproduces masonry strength under biaxial loading, validates well against shear wall experiments, and elucidates nonlinear collapse mechanisms through detailed numerical–experimental comparison.

Abstract

A novel yield criterion that includes different strengths along each material axis is presented. The criterion includes two different fracture energies in tension and two different fracture energies in compression. The ability of the model to represent the inelastic behavior of orthotropic materials is shown, and a set of experimental tests to characterize the constitutive behavior of masonry is proposed. The capability of the model to reproduce the strength behavior of different masonry types is demonstrated through a comparison with available experimental data in masonry panels subjected to uniform biaxial loading conditions. Finally, the model is validated against experimental results on masonry shear walls and good agreement is found. A clear understanding of the behavior of masonry shear walls, and the nonlinear phenomena involved in its collapse, is presented with the help of a detailed comparison between numerical and experimental results.