Title: The spandrel of masonry buildings: experimental tests and numerical analysis

Authors: Bruno Calderoni; Emilia Angela Cordasco; Gaetana Pacella; Paolo Simoniello

Addresses: Università degli Studi di Napoli 'Federico II', 80125 Napoli (NA), Italy ' Università degli Studi di Napoli 'Federico II', 80125 Napoli (NA), Italy ' Università degli Studi di Napoli 'Federico II', 80125 Napoli (NA), Italy ' Università degli Studi di Napoli 'Federico II', 80125 Napoli (NA), Italy

Abstract: The interest of the scientific community for the seismic behaviour of existing masonry buildings is continuously increasing in recent years. The authors have analysed the structural behaviour of spandrels in URM buildings by means of several experimental tests performed on specimens in reduced scale. The results of this experimental campaign are reported in this paper and are compared with the results of several experimental tests on full scale masonry spandrels available in literature. The key-data and the set-up of the tests, the criteria adopted for testing and the results obtained are discussed, in order to underline their effectiveness in defining a theoretical interpretation of the actual mechanical behaviour of spandrels in masonry buildings subjected to seismic actions. Then, some of the tests have been simulated by means of FE models. The comparison between experimental and numerical results shows sensible variation depending on the material modelling and the geometrical properties of the panels.

Keywords: masonry building; spandrel; seismic behaviour; masonry shear strength; masonry tensile strength; nonlinear FE analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMRI.2019.096822

International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation, 2019 Vol.4 No.1/2, pp.123 - 149

Published online: 11 Dec 2018 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article