SUMMARYA new method to combine interface damage and friction in a cohesive-zone model is proposed. Starting from the mesomechanical assumption, typically made in a damage-mechanics approach, whereby a representative elementary area of the interface can be additively decomposed into an undamaged and a fully damaged part, the main idea consists of assuming that friction occurs only on the fully damaged part. The gradual increase of the friction effect is then a natural outcome of the gradual increase of the interface damage from the initial undamaged state to the complete decohesion. Suitable kinematic and static hypotheses are made in order to develop the interface model whereas no special assumptions are required on the damage evolution equations and on the friction law. Here, the Crisfield's interface model is used for the damage evolution and a simple Coulomb friction relationship is adopted. Numerical and analytical results for two types of constitutive problem show the effectiveness of the model to capture all the main features of the combined effect of interface damage and friction. A finite-step interface law has then been derived and implemented in a finite-element code via interface elements. The results of the simulations made for a fibre push-out test and a masonry wall loaded in compression and shear are then presented and compared with available experimental results. They show the effectiveness of the proposed model to predict the failure mechanisms and the overall structural response for the analysed problems.

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The present work deals with the formulation of a Virtual Element Method (VEM) for two dimensional structural problems. The contribution is split in two parts: in part I, the elastic problem is discussed, while in part II [[3]] the method is extended to material nonlinearity, considering different inelastic responses of the material. In particular, in part I a standardized procedure for the construction of all the terms required for the implementation of the method in a code is explained. The procedure is initially illustrated for the simplest case of quadrilateral virtual elements with linear approximation of displacement variables on the boundary of the element. Then, the case of polygonal elements with quadratic and, even, higher order interpolation is considered. The construction of the method is detailed, deriving the approximation of the consistent term, the required stabilization term and the loading term for all the considered virtual elements. A wide numerical investigation is performed to assess the performances of the developed virtual elements, considering different number of edges describing the elements and different order of approximations of the unknown field. Numerical

The present paper deals with the derivation of a higher order theory of interface models. In particular, it is studied the problem of two bodies joined by an adhesive interphase for which "soft" and "hard" linear elastic constitutive laws are considered. For the adhesive, interface models are determined by using two different methods. The first method is based on the matched asymptotic expansion technique, which adopts the strong formulation of classical continuum mechanics equations (compatibility, constitutive and equilibrium equations). The second method adopts a suitable variational (weak) formulation, based on the minimization of the potential energy. First and higher order interface models are derived for soft and hard adhesives. In particular, it is shown that the two approaches, strong and weak formulations, lead to the same asymptotic equations governing the limit behavior of the adhesive as its thickness vanishes. The governing equations derived at zero order are then put in comparison with the ones accounting for the first order of the asymptotic expansion, thus remarking the influence of the higher order terms and of the higher order derivatives on the interface response. Moreover, it is shown how the elastic properties of the adhesive enter the higher order terms. The effects taken into account by the latter ones could play an important role in the nonlinear response of the interface, herein not investigated. Finally, two simple applications are developed in order to illustrate the differences among the interface theories at the different orders

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The paper presents the experience of a working group within the RILEM Technical Committee 223-MSC ‘Masonry Strengthening with Composite materials’, aimed at developing a standardized, reliable procedure for characterizing the bonding mechanism of masonry elements strengthened with composite materials under shear actions. Twelve laboratories from European universities and research centers were involved. Two different set-ups were compared, for single-lap and double-lap shear tests (the latter in two versions). Four kinds of fiber fabrics, i.e., glass, carbon, basalt and steel, were applied with epoxy resins (wet lay-up system) to clay brick units, for a total of 280 monotonic tests. The results provided information regarding the response of externally bonded-to-brick composites in terms of observed failure mechanisms, load capacity, effective transfer length, and bond shear stress–slip behavior. The test results of the 12 laboratories constitute a set of statistically representative data which may conveniently be used for setting appropriate design provisions and guidelines

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