COSSERAT AND CAUCHY MATERIALS AS CONTINUUM MODELS OF BRICK MASONRY

Continuum modeling for masonry-like material accounting for bricks or blocks texture is discussed. The constitutive functions for the contac t actions - expressed in terms of size, shape and arrangement of the b lock assembly - are derived within the framework of the linear elastic Cosserat and Cauchy theories. By varying some important geometrical p arameters: the scale factor between the wall and the blocks size, the shape of the bricks and their arrangement, micropolar materials with p articular internal constraints are obtained. In a few situations the c onstrained continuum behaves as a Cauchy continuum. In general, the Ca uchy continuum does not provide a proper description of the brick maso nry behaviour while the structured continuum model, accounting for the mutual blocks rotation, gives satisfactory results.