Modern methodologies for the conservation of architectural heritage require
structural analysis for the purpose of diagnosis and safety evaluation. This is not an easy task, as
masonry structures usually feature a very low tensile strength, thus rendering the tool usually
adopted for design of new structures (linear elastic analysis) of very limited use. Non-linear
analysis of ancient masonry structures is a popular field in masonry research and homogenisation
techniques play presently a major role, despite the mathematical and conceptual difficulties
inherent to the approach. The paper addresses different homogenisation techniques available in
the literature, with a focus on micro-mechanical models and on the polynomial expansion of the
stress field. These seem promising and accurate strategies for advanced structural analysis
