Parametric CAD-integrated simulation of masonry structures based on the isogeometric analysis

This publication presents a novel numerical avenue for the assessment of masonry structures. To circumvent the labor-intensive finite element method modeling and pre-processing step, the isogeometric analysis is enhanced within this contribution to cope with the necessities for masonry structures. This incorporates the study of apparent kinematic shell formulations, including their respective properties. Additionally, the connection towards non-linear material laws is outlined, and an empirically evaluated approach for the element size regularization is proposed. This generic approach would be inherently valid for other size dependent constitutive material models, as e.g. concrete models. The current paper is explored in the context of a number of experimental problems. These validation examples are used to provide structural assessments that extend beyond the scope of the experiment. Finally, a potential example that provides an outlook towards anticipated applications is presented.