Assessment of the seismic capacity of stone masonry walls with block models

Abstract

Abstract. The application of discrete element models based on rigid block formulations to the analysis of masonry walls under horizontal out-of-plane loading is discussed. The problems raised by the representation of an irregular fabric by a simplified block pattern are addressed. Two procedures for creating irregular block systems are presented, one using Voronoi polygons, the other based on a bed and cross joint structure with random deviations. A test problem provides a comparison of various regular and random block patterns, showing their influence on the failure loads. The estimation of natural frequencies of rigid block models, and its application to static pushover analyses, is addressed. An example of application of a rigid block model to a wall capacity problem is presented.