An Improved Macroelement Model Accounting for Energy Dissipation in Flexural Failure Modes of Masonry Walls

Abstract eng:
In the numerical modelling of flexural behaviour of masonry buildings by means of macroelement models, it is important to account for the limited compressive strength and the proper energy dissipation of the material. The macroelement model currently implemented in the TREMURI computer program is featured by a bi-linear compressive behaviour with limited strength, capable of accounting for toe-crushing during cyclic loads, and no tension strength. In addition, in the constitutive relationship, the secant unloading-reloading branch allows for energy dissipation, together with stiffness degradation. From the numerical simulation of experimental tests, an underestimation of the dissipated energy during cyclic loads was noticed. In order to better capture the energy dissipation, in this work an improved model is proposed. In addition to the assumption of limited compressive strength and no tension behaviour, the improved model is characterized by an unloading branch with slope equal to the initial stiffness, thus allowing an increased energy dissipation and the ability of modelling displacement accumulation. The new macroelement model is then implemented in the TREMURI program. In order to validate the model, comparisons with distributed nonlinear spring models implementing the same constitutive relationship and simulations of experimental tests on masonry piers are performed.

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