Probabilistic approach to the behavior of brick masonry walls

Abstract

Masonry structures are a common historical and traditional type of construction with predominantly historical structures constructed with little or no regulations. During assessments, existing masonry structures frequently exhibit a significant variability in their material properties. As a result, safety concepts are often grounded in experience rather than being calibrated using structural reliability methods. Therefore, presented here is a study aimed at enhancing the understanding of brick masonry structures by examining the mechanical behavior of walls under in-plane loading to address the impact of spatial variability in the mechanical properties of masonry materials (bricks and mortar joints) on wall behavior. The main objectives are to estimate uncertainties in mechanical and geometrical properties, propagate these uncertainties into mechanical models, develop meta-models of masonry response to load and spatial uncertainties, and evaluate their impact on reliability. Consequently, spatial non-destructive evaluation of the material properties of masonry wall components, combined with a Finite Element Model (FEM), was adopted to investigate the non-linear stochastic structural behavior of the masonry wall. The findings of this research aim to make informed recommendations for improving the assessment and maintenance of existing masonry assets, ensuring safety and sustainability