Masonry elements strengthened through Textile-Reinforced Mortar: application of detailed level modelling with a free open-source Finite-Element code

TL;DR

This paper presents a detailed finite-element modelling approach using open-source software to simulate the mechanical behavior and failure modes of masonry elements strengthened with Textile Reinforced Mortar, validated against experimental data.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel detailed-level modelling method for TRM-strengthened masonry using open-source finite-element code, capturing failure mechanisms and interactions.

Findings

Model accurately predicts failure modes of TRM-strengthened masonry.

Simulation results align well with experimental tests.

Model sensitivity to component properties is demonstrated.

Abstract

The paper concerns the modelling of masonry elements strengthened through Textile Reinforced Mortar (TRM), a near surface system made of fiber-based grids or textiles embedded in mortar layers. Recently, the author, focusing on the mechanical characterization of TRM composites, developed a detailed level modelling approach by using the free, open-source Finite-Element code OOFEM, for the simulation of experimental tests on TRM coupons (pull-out tests, tensile tests, shear bond tests and in-plane shear tests). The model was capable to account for the failure of single components (e.g. the fibers tensile failure, the mortar cracking and crushing), as well as of their interactions (the debonding of the fibers from the mortar and of the mortar from the masonry substrate). In this paper, the detailed-level modelling approach is applied to the simulation of TRM strengthened masonry elements subjected to diagonal compression, in-plane and out-of-plane bending tests, investigating on the typical failure modes of masonry. Non-linear static analyses are performed, with nonlinearities of materials and interfaces deduced from experimental evidences. The comparison with some experimental results and a parametric study allowed to evidence the reliability of the models and their sensitivity to the main components characteristics.