Author(s)

A. El Shabrawi & T. Verdel

Abstract

The distinct element method is presented as an efficient tool for stability analysis and understanding of failure mechanisms of old masonry structures built with stones and mortars. Quite different from the continuous approach of other methods, it deals with discontinuous media and can be used for the study of a wide range of structures composed of discrete bodies. Dynamic simulations of masonry constructions are proposed and illustrate the efficiency of the method 1 Introduction The increasing interest of studying masonry buildings in seismic regions is due to the widespread use of them all over the world and to the fact that most of the damages caused by earthquakes, from the point of view of fatalities and of historical heritage, are associated with them

Keywords