Numerical simulation for failure process of brick masonry at meso-scale based on discrete element method

Abstract: The paper presents a meso-scale mechanical model on simulating the failure process of brick masonry based on discrete element method (DEM). In this model the brick masonry was considered as three phases consisting... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract:

The paper presents a meso-scale mechanical model on simulating the failure process of brick masonry based on discrete element method (DEM). In this model the brick masonry was considered as three phases consisting of bricks, mortar and zero-thickness interfaces between bricks and mortar, where each phase (exclude interfaces) was divided into Voronoi polyhedral elements to reduce the influence of the mesh arrangement on the cracking direction. The elements were simplified as rigid bodies connected by normal and shear springs whose mechanical parameters were applied depending on the corresponding phases. Once fractured, the relationship between elements changed from spring connection to contact force, which initiated the material nonlinearity. In solution procedure, the dynamic relaxation method was adopted to avoid non-convergence of equilibrium equations in the descending branch of stress-strain curve, which displayed the whole process of loading effectively. Comparison of the calculated and experimental results proves the efficiency of the proposed model on predicting the response of brick masonry under compression and shear loadings, especially the post-strength behavior.