The FORMA project addresses the challenge of realistically describing the nonlinear and anisotropic behaviour of masonry structures, which, owing to their heterogeneous composition and the complex interfaces between units and mortar, remains one of the most demanding areas of computational mechanics. Traditional masonry, often built from irregularly shaped stone blocks and/or bricks with or without binding material, presents a challenge for reliable numerical modeling due to its pronounced heterogeneity and complex nonlinear behavior. The proposed research will focus on the development of advanced formulations in the numerical analysis of the behavior of historical masonry structures, with an emphasis on the application of the Discrete Element Method to improve numerical modeling through a practical engineering approachs. Models based on discrete elements enable the numerical formulation of a more realistic masonry structure, which largely determines anisotropy and influences the failure mechanism. Although they are computationally demanding and complex to implement, precisely because of their ability to represent in detail the interactions between individual blocks as well as the propagation and distribution of cracks, properly calibrated detailed numerical models can serve as a reference basis for improving less complex formulations (models). This improvement may take the form of more appropriate discretization schemes, the application of constitutive laws, and a priori assumptions regarding failure mechanisms.

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