Uniaxial compressive stress–strain model for clay brick masonry

Material stress–strain properties are required in the nonlinear analyses of structures. Stress–strain relationships for some construction materials such as concrete and steel are available in the literature and design codes. However, such relationships are not easily available for one of the most widely used construction material, i.e. masonry. In the present comprehensive experimental study, compressive stress–strain relationships for masonry are determined by testing 84 masonry prism specimens constructed using bricks from four different manufacturers and three mortar grades. By regression analysis of experimental data, analytical expressions are proposed to estimate the modulus of elasticity of masonry. An analytical model is proposed to adequately plot the stress–strain curves for masonry using six control points on the curves. A simplified analytical model is also proposed that can be conveniently used in finite element analysis programs.