Damage Models for the Seismic Response of Brick Masonry Shear Walls. Part Ii: The Continuum Model and Its Applications

The damage model for mortar joints proposed in the companion paper (Reference 1) is here applied to an extended approach for the evaluation of the lateral response of in-plane loaded brick masonry shear walls. The continuum model considered here is based on the simplifying assumption of an equivalent stratified medium made up of layers representative of the mortar bed joints and of the brick units and head joints, respectively. The constitutive equations for the brick masonry are obtained through a homogenization procedure involving the damage model proposed in the companion paper and simple damage constitutive equations for the brick layer. The constitutive model is used in a finite element analysis of the lateral response of brick masonry shear walls in-plane loaded either by cyclic horizontal actions superimposed on vertical loads or by dynamic loads, which are representative of the seismic actions. The capabilities and the validity limits of the finite element analysis obtained by the continuum approach are indicated from the simulation of experimental results concerning rectangular slender and squat shear walls and also by the comparison with the theoretical results from the composite model proposed in the companion paper. Moreover, simulations of the experimental results from large-scale brick masonry shear walls carried out at the University of Pavia are presented. Finally the same shear wall has been analysed under dynamic strong motion at the base from which the suitability of the approach for the evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of masonry buildings emerges.