Two-dimensional computational framework of meso-scale rigid and line interface elements for masonry structures

In this paper, rigid elements along with nonlinear line interface elements are utilized to model masonry structures. The modeling approach focuses on two dimensions (2D) whereby the in-plane behavior of components is represented by rigid elements and nonlinear line interfaces instead of modeling by a traditional finite element method. In this approach, the component will be allowed to crack in predefined paths which have more likelihood for propagation. The paper discusses the model derivation and implementation. Moreover, the mesh sensitivity of this method is assessed by using different mesh sizes, and it is shown that the model captures response obtained by the experimental tests. The traditional finite element method is indeed capable of predicting the behavior of large scale masonry component, but the computational time is very high. In this study it has been shown that using rigid elements along with nonlinear line interfaces leads to a reduced number of degrees-of-freedom, which consequently reduces the computational time. The material model is implemented in a user-defined subroutine that is compiled with DIANA. The algorithms and material models are validated with well-documented experimental studies, and results clearly show the capabilities of the proposed procedures. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.