Abstract
The use of numerical methods for the analysis of masonry structures has been extremely limited due to the large number of influence factors. Due to the high complexity of masonry behaviour, the approach towards the numerical simulation of its structural behaviour has led researchers to develop several constitutive models characterized by different levels of complexity.
In order to solve a given structural problem, several idealizations of material behaviour can be established, each of them being necessarily associated with different degrees of complexity. When dealing with masonry structures, the most common idealizations of material behaviour are elastic behaviour, plastic behaviour and non- linear behaviour.
The aim of this paper is formulation of a numerical simulation hypothesis to study the effect of interface model between Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) and masonry. The hypothesis consists in assigning different stiffness values for the mortar joints. These values simulate the degradations which occur in mortar joints. These lead in obtaining a real structural behaviour. The non linear analysis with finite element method will be used in micro-modelling of a strengthened masonry beam with GFRP at the intrados subjected to vertical load acting in the middle span.
KEYWORDS: non linear analysis, FEM, FRP strengthened masonry beam, micro-modelling interface.
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