Finite Element Micro-modeling of Earth Block Masonry Systems

This study investigates the limitations of SMMs to simulate the mechanical response of EBM. A detailed micro-model (DMM) is proposed to accurately simulate the behavior of EBM systems, in which both masonry blocks and mortar are modeled by continuum elements, and the block-mortar interfaces are represented by zero-thickness interface elements. DMMs explicitly model the behavior of the individual masonry constituents and address the intrinsic discontinuity and heterogeneity of masonry structures.