  This paper describes COMSOL simulations of the stress and crack development
in the area where a masonry wall supports a floor. In these simulations one of
the main material properties of calcium silicate, its E-value, was assigned
randomly to the finite elements of the modeled specimen. Calcium silicate is a
frequently used building material with a relatively brittle fracture
characteristic. Its initial E-value varies, as well as tensile strength and
post peak behavior. Therefore, in the simulation, initial E-values were
randomly assigned to the elements of the model and a step function used for
describing the descending branch. The method also allows for variation in
strength to be taken into account in future research. The performed non-linear
simulation results are compared with experimental findings. They show the
stress distribution and cracking behavior in point loaded masonry when varying
material properties are used.
