Keywords: tuff masonry, mortar joints, compressive behaviour, non-linear material, multi-scale modelling, finite element.

Tuff block masonry is a widely used material for masonry constructions, including many historical buildings, in southern Italy and other Mediterranean regions. The necessity to achieve a more detailed knowledge of the behaviour of this kind of masonry, characterized by high variability in terms of physical and mechanical properties, represents a key issue particularly in the non-linear field.

This paper illustrates the results of the finite element modelling and calibration of the constitutive behaviour of yellow tuff block masonry panels subjected to uniaxial loading. The satisfying performance of the proposed models is shown in comparison with the numerical results of available experimental tests.

A detailed three-dimensional model of the masonry panels was firstly developed using a micro-modelling technique. For tuff units and mortar joints, individually described in the model, different sets of mechanical characteristics were assumed. The non-linear behaviour of masonry components was described through a smeared cracking method following a multi-directional crack approach. The mechanical properties and the constitutive models of the single materials, with particular attention to the softening behaviour, were based on the experimental data. Afterwards, an equivalent simplified bi-dimensional macro-model was proposed and a homogeneous material defined. Finally, recommended values for the mechanical parameters, useful for micro or macro-modelling approaches of tuff masonry structures, are provided.

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