Modeling of masonry shear walls subjected to in-plane lateral loads using frame elements with variable cross-sections

Abstract

A simple way for obtaining numerically the lateral load capacity curve of a masonry wall is to consider it as a one-dimensional element and perform a finite element incremental analysis. Based on some assumptions concerning the normal stress distribution, the panel can be discretized into frame elements whose geometrical properties are evaluated from the portion of the cross-section subjected to compression. In the case of employing finite elements of constant cross-sections, satisfactory results are obtained only if the mesh is dense enough to accurately represent the change in the geometrical properties of the resisting portion of the panel cross-section. In this work, a finite element with a variable cross-section is employed, so the number of elements required for a reliable solution can be reduced. The proposed model is tested against some experimental results available in the literature. Results are in good agreement with reference curves, showing that the proposed model may be employed to assess the load capacity of masonry shear walls in a pre-design phase.