Mechanism Matters
Lessons from Calibrating Continuum FE Models of Calcium-Silicate Masonry
Abide Aşıkoğlu (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences, TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
Michele Longo (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
Paul A. Korswagen (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
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Abstract
This paper presents insights from numerical simulations of a quasi-static test on a full-scale calcium-silicate brick masonry building representative of Dutch terraced housing. A set of continuum finite-element models was evaluated using different combinations of material parameters, boundary conditions, and modelling strategies, while engaging multiple analysts. Several model configurations achieved good agreement with the experimental response, including stiffness, lateral strength, or damage evolution. However, despite this apparent agreement, the predicted global damage mechanisms could differ from those observed experimentally. The numerical models were dominated by diagonal in-plane cracking, whereas the experiment exhibited global rocking combined with in-plane and out-of-plane failure. By cross-comparing multiple parameter combinations, the study highlights the importance of explicitly verifying damage mechanisms and transparently documenting choices as integral components of mechanism-based calibrations.