3D numerical analysis of tunnelling induced damage: The influence of the alignment of a masonry building with the tunnel axis

The development of infrastructure in major cities often involves tunnelling, which can cause damage to existing structures. Therefore, these projects require a careful prediction of the risk of settlement induced damage. The simplified approach of current methods cannot account for three-dimensional structural aspects of buildings, which can...

Modelling crack initiation and propagation in masonry using the partition of unity method

A mesoscopic masonry model is presented using the partition of unity finite element method. Joints are only explicitly introduced when a critical stress state is exceeded, resulting in a computationally more efficient procedure when compared to models in which all joints are a priori active. The performance of the presented model is demonstrated...

Modelling of settlement induced building damage

This thesis focuses on the modelling of settlement induced damage to masonry buildings. In densely populated areas, the need for new space is nowadays producing a rapid increment of underground excavations. Due to the construction of new metro lines, tunnelling activity in urban areas is growing. One of the consequences is a greater attention to...

Circumventing bifurcations in structural softening

Three-dimensional modelling of masonry using the partition of unity method

This paper uses the Generalized Finite Element method for the introduction of the cohesive joint behaviour to model masonry. Cracked joints are modelled as displacement discontinuities and are introduced in the finite element model by additional degrees of freedom. These degrees of freedom are activated when the stress state in the joint reaches...

Computational Modeling on Concrete, Masonry and Fiber-reinforced Composites: Proceedings of the Workshop on 17 – 18 June 2009, Delft, The Netherlands

This booklet comprises the extended abstracts to be presented at the Ma(gni)FiCo workshop held in Delft, The Netherlands, on 17-18 June 2009. The spirit of this workshop is to have a small gathering with ample time for lively conversation and interaction among the student and faculty researchers. As a partial acronym, Ma(gni)FiCo stands for a...

Closing the clay brick cycle

The influence of water flow (reversal) on bond strength development in young masonry

Water loss from the fresh mortar is believed to be related to mortar-brick bond strength development in masonry. Recent research on mortar-brick bond has shown that, particularly, effects of water flow on the composition and the hydration conditions of the mortar-brick interface have to be taken into account to explain bond strength development....

Computational strategies for masonry structures

Effects of water on mortar-brick bond

The quality of bond in masonry is, to a large extent, a function of the (i) the hydration conditions and (ii) the mortar composition of the mortar-brick interface. For insight into the effects of these parameters on bond performance it is essential to dispose of quantitative information about water content changes and flow rates, occurring...

Modeling of long-term deformations and damage accumulation in masonry