Material aging effects on the in-plane lateral capacity of tuff stone masonry walls: a numerical investigation

Abstract

Recent studies have shown how the variability of material properties affects the nonlinear behaviour of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls. To preserve the historical built heritage, variations in structural capacity of URM buildings associated to aging and deterioration of masonry should be quickly predicted, by integrating with structural health monitoring and risk management. In this study, relationships between structural capacity features and material properties are numerically investigated for single walls, based on a structural modelling strategy that was experimentally validated on full-scale URM walls. The paper proposes an evaluation of the effects of degradation of material properties on the macroscopic descriptors of single masonry walls, such as peak strength and stiffness, also considering the uncertainties in the estimate of those properties. The authors do not attempt to model the physical processes of material aging with time, but assume certain levels of material degradation and investigate their effects on the structural response and capacity. Force–displacement curves and failure modes are associated with the overall nonlinear response of masonry walls due to progressive deterioration of material properties. Regression models are then proposed to predict variations in the peak load-bearing capacity and in -plane lateral stiffness when the mechanical properties of the constituents changed.

An Equivalent Frame Digital Twin for the Seismic Monitoring of Historic Structures: A Case Study on the Consoli Palace in Gubbio, Italy

“…As a first assumption, the relative reductions in masonry strength caused by seismic damage can be assumed to be equal to those identified for the elastic moduli by the updating procedure. This statement is supported by recent results of the literature, which investigated, through numerical simulations, the relationship between elastic and resistance parameters in masonry walls and its alteration due to aging and degradation effects [94]. The study results suggest that the respective reductions follow a linear trend with a regression coefficient very close to unity, thus validating the initial assumption.…”

Simplified Evaluation for the Sera-Ta Blind Prediction: Seismic Behavior of Masonry Cross Vaults

“…The numerical model was in fact developed on the basis of initially available mechanical properties. Therefore, the numerical model was developed to test the reliability of a simplified approach (pre diction [9]) and not to accurately model the behavior of the tested masonry vault (post diction [26]). A reliable model is necessarily calibrated on the basis of deeper data from experimental tests.…”

“…In fact, in an initial blind phase, the level of knowledge is very low and the numerical model must be compatible with it [6,7]. Excessively refined models are often more sensitive to input parameters and the cannot be used at initial phases [8,9]. The main goal of the experimental program was to investigate the behavior of brick masonry cross vaults under different seismic inputs, in terms of damage, displacement capacity and peak acceleration [10].…”

Guidelines for Natural Stone Products in Connection with European Standards

“…It is also important to observe the structural effects of stone masonry degradation. This has important implications for the safety of masonry structures [65,66].…”