Mechanical behaviour of the structural brickwork masonry

Abstract

This paper shows the results of the ongoing research project dealt with the failure of the brickwork masonry under tensile/shear loading. The aim of the investigation is to supply experimental results and numerical models to improve the knowledge of the brickwork masonry failure and to simulate the fracture behaviour under tensile and tangential stresses. Two kinds of specimens were tested: 1) The double edge notched specimen under non-symmetric loading, and 2) The three point bending specimen under non-symmetric loading. Two similar sizes of specimen and several orientations of the bed joints were tested to study the influence of the angle between the bed joint and the cracks in the failure of the masonry. A numerical model for the fracture of the masonry is proposed. The numerical results of the model are compared with the experimental results and a good agreement is reached. The model involves parameters easy to measure, this aspect may help to the practitioners in the practical use of the model.