ECCOMAS 2024

Hygro-Thermo-Mechanical Analysis of Brick Masonry Walls: One-Way Coupling and Modelling Approaches

  • Ramirez, Rafael (University of Minho)
  • Jiménez-Ríos, Alejandro (Oslo Metropolitan University)
  • Ghiassi, Bahman (University of Birmingham)
  • Lourenço, Paulo B (University of Minho)

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This study investigates the hygro-thermo-mechanical behaviour of brick masonry walls, focusing on the application of a unidirectional coupling scheme. This approach implies that temperature and moisture actions result in deformations within the constituent materials of masonry. These deformations, in turn, induce internal stresses, which are then integrated into the mechanical analysis. Notably, this method excludes the potential influence of mechanical actions on the temperature and moisture fields. In our investigation, hygrothermal actions including temperature and moisture variations, rising damp, and wind-driven rain, were applied to brick masonry walls with different bond typologies. The study explores the efficacy of combining various finite element modelling approaches, namely detailed micro- and macro-models, for the different stages of the analysis. The software COMSOL Multiphysics was employed for numerical simulations. The results revealed valuable insights into the hygro-thermo-mechanical response of brick masonry walls under environmental conditions. The one-way coupling scheme can successfully capture the interaction between temperature, moisture, and mechanical stresses within the masonry structure. Additionally, the analysis of masonry walls with different bond arrangements allowed for a better understanding of how brick walls respond to environmental actions, as well as possible limitations for the application of different modelling techniques. In conclusion, this study contributes to the broader understanding of hygro-thermo-mechanical analyses in brick masonry walls. The findings demonstrate the applicability of the one-way coupling scheme to reproduce hygrothermal loads, shedding light on the relationships between hygrothermal and mechanical fields. The varied hygrothermal conditions and modelling approaches utilized underscore the versatility of the methodology and its applicability in diverse scenarios within the field of civil engineering. Further studies should extend the investigation to fully-coupled schemes.