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Journal ArticleDOI

Tensile fracture mechanism of masonry wallettes parallel to bed joints: A stochastic discontinuum analysis

08 Oct 2020-Vol. 1, Iss: 2, pp 78-93
TL;DR: In this article, a discontinuum modeling strategy based on the discrete element method was developed to investigate the tensile fracture mechanism of masonry wallettes parallel to the bed joints considering the inherent variation in the material properties.
Abstract: Nonhomogeneous material characteristics of masonry lead to complex fracture mechanisms, which require substantial analysis regarding the influence of masonry constituents. In this context, this study presents a discontinuum modeling strategy, based on the discrete element method, developed to investigate the tensile fracture mechanism of masonry wallettes parallel to the bed joints considering the inherent variation in the material properties. The applied numerical approach utilizes polyhedral blocks to represent masonry and integrate the equations of motion explicitly to compute nodal velocities for each block in the system. The mechanical interaction between the adjacent blocks is computed at the active contact points, where the contact stresses are calculated and updated based on the implemented contact constitutive models. In this research, different fracture mechanisms of masonry wallettes under tension are explored developing at the unit–mortar interface and/or within the units. The contact properties are determined based on certain statistical variations. Emphasis is given to the influence of the material properties on the fracture mechanism and capacity of the masonry assemblages. The results of the analysis reveal and quantify the importance of the contact properties for unit and unit–mortar interfaces (e.g., tensile strength, cohesion, and friction coefficient) in terms of capacity and corresponding fracture mechanism for masonry wallettes.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
20 Feb 2021
TL;DR: In this article, a model of a stone masonry Roman aqueduct (the Valens Aqueduct), constructed in the fourth century A.D. in Istanbul, Turkey, to explore the seismic capacity and behavior using the discrete element method (DEM).
Abstract: The majority of architectural heritage consists of load-bearing masonry components made up of stone units and relatively weak mortar joints, yielding potential weak planes for masonry structures where tension and shear failures are expected to occur. Advanced nonlinear analyses are required to simulate these phenomena and predict the corresponding nonlinear structural behavior of historic masonry constructions. In this context, this paper presents a model of a stone masonry Roman aqueduct (the Valens Aqueduct), constructed in the fourth century A.D. in Istanbul, Turkey, to explore the seismic capacity and behavior using the discrete element method (DEM). The employed modeling approach comprises distinct rigid blocks interacting along their boundaries based on the point-contact hypothesis. Thus, the discontinuous stone skeleton of the masonry aqueduct is represented explicitly in the computational model. First, a validation study was conducted on the laboratory experiment to demonstrate the capabilities of the adopted modeling approach. Then, a discontinuum model representing the Valens Aqueduct was used to assess the seismic capacity of the structure under gradually increasing lateral forces. The numerical simulations gave insight into the structural response of the aqueduct from the elastic range to total collapse. Additionally, parametric research was performed considering joint properties, namely the joint tensile strength, contact stiffness, joint friction angle, and compressive strength of the masonry, to quantify the effects of contact parameters on the displacement response of the DEM model. Further inferences were made regarding the modeling parameters, and practical conclusions were derived.

30 citations


Cites background from "Tensile fracture mechanism of mason..."

  • ...Crack localization is a salient feature of masonry construction; it mostly develops at the mortar joints, especially for the strong-unit–weak-bond assemblies [29]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, discontinuum-based computational models are used to simulate the composite and low-bond strength characteristics of masonry walls, and the same models are then used to determine the influence of uncertainties in the material properties on the macro behavior of the URM walls.

18 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A realistic and rigorous structural assessment of masonry arch bridges is essential due to their cultural, economic and strategic importance and vulnerability.
Abstract: Seismic structural assessment of masonry arch bridges is essential due to their cultural, economic and strategic importance and vulnerability. A realistic and rigorous structural assessment is nece...

15 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the in-plane structural behavior, capacity, and performance of dry-joint stone masonry walls and the effects of the vertical stress level on these factors are investigated via a stochastic discontinuum analysis that considers the material uncertainty.

12 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , a probabilistic computational modeling framework using the discrete element method (DEM) was proposed to predict the structural behavior and capacity of URM walls with openings subjected to lateral loading, considering uncertainties in material properties.
Abstract: This study aims to improve our current understanding of the seismic assessment of load-bearing unreinforced masonry (URM) systems by proposing a probabilistic computational modeling framework using the discrete element method (DEM). The main objective is to predict the structural behavior and capacity of URM walls with openings subjected to lateral loading, considering uncertainties in material properties. The proposed modeling strategy represents masonry as an assembly of rigid blocks interacting along their boundaries by adopting the point-contact hypothesis. Fracture energy-based softening contact models are implemented into a commercial discrete element code (3DEC) to better simulate both the pre- and post-peak behavior of masonry. The results highlight the influence of material properties on the force capacity, displacement capacity (drift limits), and collapse mechanisms of walls with openings. Based on the applied non-spatial probabilistic analyses, the most commonly observed failure mechanisms are further assessed using a simplified macro-block formulation. As a result, practical, yet necessary, inferences are made, providing valuable contributions. Furthermore, the validated discontinuum analysis framework is demonstrated as an accurate structural analysis strategy and a useful approach to simulating the potential collapse mechanism of load-bearing URM structures.

11 citations

References
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19 Feb 1996

862 citations


"Tensile fracture mechanism of mason..." refers background in this paper

  • ..., concrete, mortar, clay brick, and rock) due to a process of progressive internal crack growth [19,20]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Vonoi tessellations are used and are shown to include morphological properties that make them particularly challenging to mesh with high element quality, and the results are mainly illustrated by the high-quality meshing of polycrystals with large number of grains.

815 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an interface elastoplastic constitutive model for the analysis of unreinforced masonry structures is evaluated, aiming at a rational unit-joint model able to describe cracking, slip, and crushing of the material.
Abstract: The performance of an interface elastoplastic constitutive model for the analysis of unreinforced masonry structures is evaluated. Both masonry components are discretized aiming at a rational unit-joint model able to describe cracking, slip, and crushing of the material. The model is formulated in the spirit of softening plasticity for tension, shear and compression, with consistent treatment of the intersections defined by these modes. The numerical implementation is based on modern algorithmic concepts such as local and global Newton-Raphson methods, implicit integration of the rate equations and consistent tangent stiffness matrices. The parameters necessary to define the model are derived from microexperiments in units, joints, and small masonry samples. The model is used to analyze masonry shear-walls and is capable of predicting the experimental collapse load and behaviour accurately. Detailed comparisons between experimental and numerical results permit a clear understanding of the walls structural behavior, flow of internal forces and redistribution of stresses both in the pre- and post-peak regime.

721 citations


"Tensile fracture mechanism of mason..." refers background in this paper

  • ...[21], and further details about the contact models can be found in the related study [6]....

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