URM (Unreinforced Masonry) historic buildings can be generally arranged into three categories: adobe, brick and stone masonry. However, a common feature of URM structures is typically the low mechanical properties of the masonry material, especially in terms of shear strength. URM buildings are not amenable to seismic analysis, and the relatively low strength of stone and brickwork masonry ofte...

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) products are used as an alternative to traditional methods for strengthening and retrofitting concrete and masonry structures to resist blast loads. The development and experimental validation of a methodology for modeling the response of blast loaded concrete and masonry structural components retrofitted with FRP, as well as corresponding response criteria, is im...

Accurate modeling of masonry has been a major concern of the researchers in the past decades. Besides reinforced and unreinforced masonry structures, masonry can be found in frame structures as infill panels which are used as partitions and/or external walls. These elements role as a part of structure and introduce a large degree of nonlinearity into the system. In this study, a micro-modeling ...

Masonry dwellings and small commercial buildings are located in areas as diverse as Adelaide, Australia, Wellington, New Zealand, and Memphis, Tennessee. The number of these masonry buildings and their design presents a danger to the human population and a potential economic loss when they are subjected to an earthquake. The dwellings of interest are constructed from unreinforced masonry. They ...

Close to reality computation of the serviceability and load-carrying capacity of old masonry arch bridges for rising live loads is a current problem. In Germany many of such roadand railway bridges exist. Some of the most important features for applicable numerical evaluation of masonry arch bridges are a realistic structural model (very often three dimensional models are necessary), the consid...

This paper presents a novel interface element for the geometric and material nonlinear analysis of unreinforced brick-masonry structures. In the proposed modelling approach, the blocks are modelled using 3D continuum solid elements, while the mortar and brick-mortar interfaces are modelled by means of the 2D nonlinear interface element. This enables the representation of any 3D arrangement for ...

This study carried out comparative seismic performance of reinforced concrete frames infilled by masonry walls with different heights. Partial and fully infilled reinforced concrete frames were modeled for the research objectives and the analysis model for a bare reinforced concrete frame was also established for comparison. Non–linear static analyses for the studied frames were performed to in...

The Azores archipelago is a small and remote region with low population levels where the issues of sustainability and autonomy have a lways been important and present s ignif icant economic consequences. Currently, the construction industry uses many imported products; however, masonry products are almost exclusively provided by local industries. For its production, masonry uses a natural volca...

Masonry structures are complex systems that require detailed knowledge and information regarding their response under seismic excitations. Appropriate modelling of a masonry structure is a prerequisite for a reliable earthquake-resistant design and/or assessment. However, modelling a real structure with a robust quantitative (mathematical) representation is a very difficult, complex and computa...

Block models have been shown to provide a realistic representation of the behavior of many types of masonry structures under static and dynamic loads. When the strength of the units is such that movements along the joints govern the behavior, it is acceptable to make the simplifying assumption that blocks act as rigid bodies. This assumption is particularly useful when dealing with seismic prob...