Comsol Simulations of Cracking in Point Loaded Masonry with Randomly Distributed Material Properties

Abstract: This paper describes COMSOL simulations of the stress and crack development in the area where a masonry wall supports a floor. In these simulations one of the main material properties of calcium silicate, its E-value, was assigned randomly to the finite elements of the modeled specimen. Calcium silicate is a frequently used building material with a relatively brittle fracture characteristic. Its initial E-value varies, as well as tensile strength and post peak behavior. Therefore, in the simulation, initial E-values were randomly assigned to the elements of the model and a step function used for describing the descending branch. The method also allows for variation in strength to be taken into account in future research. The performed non-linear simulation results are compared with experimental findings. They show the stress distribution and cracking behavior in point loaded masonry when varying material properties are used.