The MICROPAR project is funded by MINECO (Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of the Spanish Government) and the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and has a three-year duration (2013-2015).

The research project is aimed to the development of tools and criteria, adequately validated, for an efficient charaterization of the mechanical properties of brick masonry structural members of existing buildings. The research will make available a practical methodology allowing a realistic and accurate definition  of the material parameters needed for the preparation of the numerical models used in the analysis of this type of structures. This will be achived by means of an approach combining laboratory and in-situ experimental research with advanced numerical simulation by detailed micromodelling.

Among other aspects, the research project includes the following tasks:

– Determination of empirical correlations for a sufficiently accurate estimation of different mechanical parameters. This is attained by means of comprehensive experimental programmes executed in our Laboratory of Technology of Structures and Materials.

– Exploitation and improvement of techniques for the in-situ characterization of properties of masonry and its components (brick, mortar).

– Characterization of the ranges of values of strength and mechanical properties in real buildings with emphasis in traditional and historical ones. In-situ application of the proposed techniques and empirical correlations.

– Intensive use of numerical simulation by detailed micromodelling to carry out comprehensive parametric studies. The numerical models are validated by comparison with the experiments.