ABSTRACT
Models describing the nonlinear behavior of masonry constituent materials may be implemented in such models and used to simulate the failure modes anticipated to arise in the composite. This chapter presents a model for the nonlinear behavior of masonry and used in a parametric study, investigating the influence of various material properties on its compressive strength. It also presents a micro-mechanical model for the analysis of running bond masonry periodic unit cells. Masonry structures, usually being composed of a repeating geometric pattern, lend themselves well to analysis using periodic unit cells. Masonry walls are often composed of units and binding mortar arranged in a repeating pattern. The orthotropic behavior of masonry and its complex mechanical behavior are induced by this pattern. The model is based on the discretization of the running bond repeating pattern into cuboid parts and the use of a set of equations describing the interaction between them.
