A multi-scale enriched model for the analysis of masonry panels

A multi-scale model for the structural analysis of the in-plane response of masonry panels, characterized by periodic arrangement of bricks and mortar, is presented. The model is based on the use of two scales: at the macroscopic level the Cosserat micropolar continuum is adopted, while at the microscopic scale the classical Cauchy medium is employed. A nonlinear constitutive law is introduced at the microscopic level, which includes damage, friction, crushing and unilateral contact effects for the mortar joints. The nonlinear homogenization is performed employing the Transformation Field Analysis (TFA) technique, properly extended to the macroscopic Cosserat continuum. A numerical procedure is developed and implemented in a Finite Element (FE) code in order to analyze some interesting structural problems. In particular, four numerical applications are presented: the first one analyzes the response of the masonry Representative Volume Element (RVE) subjected to a cyclic loading history; in the other three applications, a comparison between the numerically evaluated response and the micromechanical or experimental one is performed for some masonry panels. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.