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Project

Multi-scale modelling of vibration induced damage to masonry structures.

In this research project, the effect of vibrations as arising from traffic or construction activities on buildings is investigated. The successful assessment and prevention of vibration induced damage requires realistic limit values, based on a physical insight in the interaction of the structure with the soil and the dynamic behavior of brittle construction materials. For the computation of the radiated wave field arising from vibration sources of large amplitude (vibratory pile driving, explosions) where a part of the soil has a non-linear behavior, the current computational techniques require a large computational effort or are instable. In order to reduce the computational effort, a displacement based perfectly matched layer technique is developed, allowing for a stable time domain calculation. The behavior of masonry is modeled in a multi-scale framework. The bricks and mortar layers are modeled on the meso-scale with an interface model. On the macro-scale, the localization of damage is represented by means of the X-FEM method. The research focuses on the homogenization from the meso-scale to the macro-scale, crack initiation and crack propagation. The development of a multi-scale model for masonry, in combination with advanced soil-structure interaction techniques should allow for a better insight in vibration induced damage.
Date:1 Oct 2009 →  30 Sep 2015
Keywords:Multiscale modeling, Masonry, X-FEM, Perfectly matched layers, Dynamic soil-structure interaction, Vibration induced damage
Disciplines:Construction engineering, Earthquake engineering, Geotechnical and environmental engineering, Water engineering, Wind engineering