Limit analysis of non-periodic masonry by means of Discontinuity Layout Optimization

Summary

Masonry structures forming part of our historical heritage were often constructed using nonperiodic textures. In this case, unlike the situation for masonry with periodic textures, few methods are available to estimate wall strength and, moreover, available methods are often difficult to apply. In this work, Discontinuity Layout Optimization (DLO) is proposed as a method of estimating the failure load and associated mechanism of masonry walls constructed with non-periodic textures. In the first part three different textures are considered (periodic, quasi-periodic and chaotic) with a simplified scheme and a parametric analysis is undertaken, considering the variation of the height of the panel. A further classification for quasi-periodic textures is then provided and a DLO rigid block analysis is carried for square panels to show the influence of such textures. The results highlight the importance of the parameters considered in the analysis, and that DLO is a suitable method to investigate their influence.