MODELING AND SEISMIC ASSESSMENT OF MASONRY HISTORICAL STRUCTURES

Numerical modeling and analysis of masonry structures is one of the greatest challenges faced by structural engineers. This difficulty is attributed to the presence of joints as the major source of weakness, discontinuity and nonlinearity as well as the existence of uncertainties in the material and geometrical properties. In this paper, an anisotropic (orthotropic) finite element model is proposed for the macro-modeling of masonry structures. Based on this FE macro-model a computer code has been developed for the structural design and analysis of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls under plane stress. During the development procedure, special attention has been given at the graphic imaging of the analysis results. The program possesses the capability of automatic crack pattern generation and associated damage indices for a set of masonry failure criteria. These damage indices data have been proven to be an effective tool for the selection of the optimum repair scenario. The derived results in comparison with the available experimental findings demonstrate that the proposed procedure is effective and robust for the modelling and seismic assessment of masonry structures compared to available ones. Furthermore, the derived crack patterns seem to be a useful tool for the selection of the optimum scenario of the masonry structures.