Mechanical homogenisation of masonry wall without mortar

Some refractory linings of metallurgical vessels consist of masonry without mortar. To describe the mechanical behaviour of these large-sized structures, it is necessary to use an equivalent material instead of a model that comprises all the bricks and joints involved. The properties of the equivalent material depend on the opening and closure mechanism of joints. In this paper, four joint states which are the combination of open/closed states of bed and head joints are identified, and the corresponding equivalent elastic properties are determined accordingly using homogenisation techniques. The transition criterion between these joint states is based on the unilateral contact conditions written in terms of macroscopic strain. The developed model is then compared to an in-plane biaxial compression test. The numerical and experimental results are in good agreement.