Three-point bending test of pantographic blocks: numerical and experimental investigation

The equilibrium forms of pantographic blocks in a three-point bending test are investigated via both experiments and numerical simulations. In the computational part, the corresponding minimization problem is solved with a deformation energy derived by homogenization within a class of admissible solutions. To evaluate the numerical simulations, series of measurements have been carried out with a suitable experimental setup guided by the acquired theoretical knowledge. The observed experimental issues have been resolved to give a robust comparison between the numerical and experimental results. Promising agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental results is demonstrated for the planar deformation of pantographic blocks.