A 3D microstructured cohesive-frictional interface model and its rational calibration for the analysis of masonry panels

The paper proposes a consistent and reproducible calibration procedure of the model parameters for its employment in the simplified micro-modeling of masonry joints. A numerical-experimental assessment of the predicted flexural response of masonry wallettes is presented, employing as a source for material parameters the data available from the experimental campaign of van der Pluijm and coworkers on the meso-scale response of units and mortar joints. The data from the structural bending tests on masonry wallets of the same campaign are used next to assess the simulated structural response following a blind-like approach, i.e., avoiding fine tuning of the mesoscale model parameters on the basis of experimental structural data on masonry wallettes. The numerical-experimental comparison appears to be satisfactory.