Development and validation of a numerical strategy for the seismic assessment of a timber retrofitting solution for URM cavity-wall buildings

This work presents the results of a numerical investigation on the effect of light timber retrofit systems on the global response of URM cavity-wall buildings. The building object of the study is a two-storey cavity-wall terraced house, retrofitted with OSB panels and timber frames. The Applied Element Method, was chosen for the numerical analyses. Numerical models, calibrated on experimental data of both retrofitted and non-retrofitted walls, were validated through the simulation of a shake-table test of a full-scale retrofitted specimen. A parametric study was then conducted to investigate the influence of different retrofit layouts on the building’s global seismic response.