A comparative computational study on the static pushover and dynamic time history response of a masonry building

Abstract

The paper presents a study on the seismic performance of an unreinforced (URM) two-storey terraced house, a real building located in the north of the Netherlands, which is assessed via both nonlinear pushover (NLPO) and nonlinear time history (NLTH) analyses. The results of both NLPO and NLTH analyses can be considered sufficiently reliable, despite a large number of non-converged steps, mainly due to the use of several different nonlinear constitutive laws. The detailed modelling of connection and floor nonlinearities allows for a more precise definition of the stiffness evolution of the structure at the different storey levels, but it does not affect significantly the ultimate performance of the building at global level. Finally, the assessment of the building via NLPO is highly dependent on the followed assessment procedure, with the original N2 method (recommended by the Eurocode) providing largely unconservative predictions.