Behavior of Masonry Structures in Architectural Education Utilizing Rigid Blocks Models

Despite the challenges and significance of the field, the behavior of masonry structures has not been sufficiently addressed in structural education of architecture curricula. For this purpose, this paper reflects the results of a four-year action research in the praxis paradigm which was done through several educational cycles. This study concentrates on the education of masonry structures in the introductory levels of architecture curricula. It explores how the behavior of masonry structures can be instructed to architecture students and how to develop an education model.  The study takes an experimental approach using the kinematic study of rigid block models in the framework of the theory of plasticity and limit state analysis. It considers the effects of settlement and earthquake as instability factors by a displacement-based approach. It was shown that some basic concepts and problems of limit state analysis such as yielding, creating plastic hinges, and the relation of the location of plastic hinges with the geometrical proportions of a structure could be taught by the kinematic study of rigid block models. The proposed educational model is based on students’ experiments on physical models and the instructor’s stage-by-stage queries with a focus on observation. As a result, the proposed education model can be utilized by instructors to improve education in this field.