Experimental characterization and detailed micro-modeling of multi-perforated clay brick masonry structural response

Aiming towards a better understanding of the structural response presented by multi-perforated clay brick masonry, this paper presents the results of an experimental program focused on characterizing the behavior of its constituent materials and interfaces, and on providing numerical strategies to appropriately reproduce that behavior. Different displacement controlled test set-ups were carried out in the laboratory for this purpose, giving special attention to characterizing the shear response at horizontal unit-mortar interface in order to point out the influence that mortar spikes penetrating into the perforated bricks cavities can exert. According to its detailed consideration of materials and interfaces, the detailed micro-modeling numerical approach was selected for this study. The numerical strategies proposed have led to a satisfactory reproduction of the shear triplet tests and diagonal compression tests that were performed, showing that the complex structural response of multi-perforated clay brick masonry can be appropriately reproduced from experimental evidence.