Fall of a Temple: Theory of Contact Applied to Masonry Joints

Abstract

This paper applies the theory of contact to masonry joints. Based on the continuity rule of strain and/or displacement field, a plane finite element is derived for the nonlinear analysis of masonry structures subjected to monotonic, cyclic, and dynamic loadings, as well as for limit‐state analysis. It consists of six degrees of freedom (DOF) and considers the opening and closing mechanism of masonry joints with or without jointing material. Hereby, an incremental formulation is used. Its implantation in a finite element (FE) program is briefly shown. By investigating the interaction between axial and bending forces, it is shown, that the local loss of joint stiffness is insufficiently represented by the classical theory of plastic hinges. The fall of a temple due to seismic loading is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the applied model for structural analysis. The obtained results are compared with the response of the structure with prestressing of the columns, which increases the horizontal stability of the structure.