Approaches to strongly local phenomena in dry masonry structures

Abstract

Sliding collapse tests performed on dry-stack masonry structures show a statistical dispersion in the results that cannot be explained by the dispersion in the properties of its constituent materials, but may correspond to an uneven distribution of stresses at the contact surfaces or within the constituent elements. In order to study these local phenomena, a method of numerical analysis of rigid blocks in unilateral contact is implemented and confronted with two types of benchmark tests: load tests and photoelastic tests. Comparing the results will allow stating that the random irregularities in contact surfaces play an important role in local behaviour. The results are very encouraging and suggest that this type of approach, common in the field of granular media but not in orthotropic media, can provide interesting insights for the analysis of local phenomena in historical masonry structures. Copyright © 2018 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.