Modelling the static and dynamic behaviour of masonry structures

This thesis proposes to develop a behavioural model to describe the nonlinear mechanical response of masonry under multidirectional loading. The model must allow to integrate all the complexity of this heterogeneous material (anisotropy, damage, dissipation by friction, …) in a robust formalism allowing its use and its implementation in calculations at the scale of the structure. For systematic use, an identification methodology relying on an experimental database as well as on virtual experimentation will be developed. At the structural scale, the model should allow to describe distributed degradations (i.e. cracking) inducing a modification of the global response of the structure. For strong solicitations, the cracking tends to be localised in macro-cracks inducing a decomposition of the structure in blocks. For structural design, developments to describe the transition between distributed degradation and concentrated nonlinearities represent one of the research directions of this thesis work.

Doctoral Researcher: Heloise Rostagni

Scientific Advisors: Frédéric Ragueneau, Cédric Giry, Dominik Schillinger