Diagonal compressive strength of masonry samples-experimental and numerical approach

Abstract

Masonry is a structural material that presents a quite complex behaviour that depends on the mechanical and geometrical characteristics of the units, the mortar and the link between these two elements. In particular, the characterization of the shear behaviour of masonry elements involves proper experimental campaigns that make these analyses particularly expensive. The main objective of this paper is to present a case study on the characterization of the shear behaviour of masonry through a methodology that merges a small number of laboratory tests with computer simulations. The methodology is applied to a new masonry system that has recently been developed in Portugal, and involves a FEM numerical approach based on micro3D modelling of masonry samples using nonlinear behaviour models that are calibrated through a small number of laboratory tests. As a result, the characterization of the masonry shear behaviour trough this methodology allowed simulating, with reasonably accuracy, a large set of expensive laboratory tests using numerical tools calibrated with small experimental resources.