FE pushover analyses of a 20th-century masonry chimney in Spain: Collapse behaviour and numerical uncertainties

Abstract

The seismic vulnerability of masonry chimneys is a critical research topic, and it has an important role in the preservation of such kind of structural type. Indeed, masonry chimneys have a very high seismic vulnerability and are sometimes located in high seismic hazard zones. Researches about this topic have become even more frequent in the last decades. However, the results are still limited, and further studies are needed. This paper aims to study the seismic behaviour of a 20th-century masonry chimney located in Spain, focusing on its ultimate behaviour. In particular, various FE pushover analyses have been carried out in Abaqus/CAE using a quite accurate 3D model of the chimney. The pushover analyses have been made along the four principal directions, and both G1 and G2 load distributions have been applied. The material properties have been chosen according to previous studies carried out on similar structures because no specific experimental data were available. The obtained capacity curves have been compared with each other, and the main weak points of the chimney have been pointed out. Finally, a sensitivity analysis has been done to better understand the influence of the viscosity parameter on the pushover results in terms of ultimate capacity and computational effort. The latter one is an input value of the Concrete Damage Plasticity model, an Abaqus built-in material model, widely used to represent the non-linear behaviour of masonry structures.