Thousands of brick-made historical buildings in Iran are counted as the important legacies of Iran. The need to preserve and protect these historical structures as well as the existing rural houses has seen the emergence of researches directed toward the analytical modeling of fracture in masonry. The fracturing mechanism in masonry is a complex phenomenon due to existing two brittle materials with some uncertain material properties. The mechanical behavior of brickwork is strongly affected by the behavior of mortar joints. Mortar joints are the planes of weakness of masonry, especially in old buildings due to the weathering and agedness. Therefore, the orientation of mortar joints affects the fracture pattern of brickwork and causes different types of crack pattern in brickwork settings. To assess the structural behavior of these masonry buildings, one should have a proper evaluation of the elastic and inelastic parameters of masonry unit components affecting the mechanical behavior of the used brick setting. This research presents the results of a comprehensive numerical modeling for common type of brickwork settings found in Iran’s brick-built historical buildings. Each different brickwork setting is modeled as 3D panels considering the effects of joint orientations subjected to different monotonic loadings. Using simplified micro-modeling technique, the brickwork panels are modeled employing Distinct Elements method (DEM). Mohr-Coulomb failure surface with tension cut-off is chosen as a constitutive law for joints having zero thickness (representing mortar bonds) and blocks as well. The behavior of each brickwork settings construction subjected to the combined monotonic compressive and shear loads is evaluated. A set of parametric studies were performed, taking into account different levels of normal loadings. To get insight load bearing of these different type of brickwork settings, the maximum average shear strength of the panel is evaluated having a range of the average normal stresses applied. The distinct load bearing behavior of usual brickworks have been discussed. Each brickwork style has advantages and disadvantages that can be improved combining together in different manners. The Zarbi style compared to Roman style catches more lateral deformation under compressive stress, and more deformation under shear force, definitely. From a computational point of view, there is a willingness to use macro-modeling technique in static and dynamic analysis of masonry structures using numerical methods. Therefore, employing a simple plasticity model (Mohr-Coulomb), this study intended to develop an equivalent homogenized masonry unit presenting both equivalent elastic and inelastic parameters
