Effects of Degrading Mechanisms on Masonry Dynamic Response

Abstract

A nonlocal damage-plastic model, accounting for the main nonlinear mechanisms characterizing masonry mechanical behavior, is introduced in a finite element framework and used to analyze the out-of-plane response of a tuff masonry wall. A simple structural scheme is considered where the wall is completely restrained at the base and free at the top. First, the wall response is numerically studied under monotonic and cyclic quasi-static conditions, then the exploration is extended to dynamic field. Base sinusoidal accelerations with increasing amplitudes and fixed frequency are assigned and the numerical responses are compared with experimental outcomes of shaking table tests. Finally, with the aim of fully exploring the effects of the degrading mechanisms on the wall resistance capacity, the response to earthquake records is investigated.