If the nonlinear property of the masonry is not considered, it would result in very small deformations.
In principle, there are three options available in RFEM.
- Line release: Vertical compression forces are only transferred. In this case, the nonlinear property is only applied for the force transmission directly to the connection line of both surfaces.
- Nonlinear material "Isotropic Masonry": In this case, the tension stresses in the x- and y-directions (that is, vertical and horizontal) are reduced iteratively to the specified limit values by reducing the stiffness. Using this model, it is possible to represent the behavior of a masonry wall that is closest to reality, because the tension stresses are reduced in the direction of the mortar joints. This requires the RF‑MAT‑NL add-on module.
- Nonlinear surface stiffness type "Membrane without tension": In this case, the tension stresses in the principal stress direction are reduced iteratively by reducing the stiffness.