Qualitative and quantitative approaches to highly local behaviors of historical masonry structures

Abstract

Many simple methods of analysis for the overall performance of masonry structures can be found; almost all of them are performed to provide safe statements about the stability of this type of structures. However, and quite frequently indeed, problems appear in masonry structures, not globally but at a local level, for which the usual methods do not offer any reliability, especially when the bonding material is damaged and the adherence resistance depends on friction. These local performances represent a practical problem in certain cases, when a proposal of models that correctly approach this local behavior is needed. In this study, we propose a combination of qualitative results of two quantitative methods (both numerical) and an experimental method (which can only indirectly provide quantitative results).This combination will showthe nature of the phenomenon to advance in the development of models integrating this issue.With this aim, in a first phase, a test performance of different photoelastic models has been carried out, which has allowed establishing a set of different range solutions to the phenomenon models. In a second stage, these ranges were applied to the qualitative results of two types of numerical models: the first one is the simplest model possible within the method of the discrete elements (DEM), based on rigid blocks in unilateral contact; the second model is based on the method of linear finite elements (FEM) in which the contact surfaces have been modeled as voids, except for the one contact point. The results obtained using these qualitative comparisons provide new perspectives for the study of local behavior of masonry structures. A correct systematization of these combinations may be useful for the assessment of this type of masonry structures. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, London.