Author
RENATO MASIANI and PATRIZIA TROVALUSCI Universita di Roma La Sapienza

Abstract
A micropolar continuum equivalent to discrete systems of rigid particles interacting two by two is proposed. It can represent the behaviour of brick/block masonry as well as jointed rocks or matrix/panicle composites. By using a procedure of equivalence in terms of virtual work, the stress measures of the continuum macromodel are derived as functions of the internal actions of the discrete micromodei. Assuming linear elastic or no tension and fiictional interactions for the discrete assembly, an elastic and a nonlinear elastic constitutive equivalent model is derived respectively. Both these models prove effective in modelling problems in which the macroscopic length scale is comparable to the size of the bricks.