A new multi-control-point pushover methodology for the seismic assessment of historic masonry buildings

Abstract

Various methods are currently used for the seismic assessment of historic masonry buildings. Among the static approaches, definition of the capacity curve in pushover analysis is influenced by choice of the control point. However, masonry constructions are typically vulnerable to out-of-plane loads, and the control point might be located on structural elements subject to collapse mechanisms. The present work is aimed at developing a coupled numerical-geometrical methodology to represent the results arising from pushover analysis, by considering an appropriate number of Boundary Control Points (BCPs) that envelop the shape of the investigated structure. The proposed approach is verified by performing numerical simulations on the San Fili Castle of Stignano, located in the Calabria Region, in the south of Italy. The analyses, both static and dynamic, are developed in a nonlinear framework in which the behavior of the structure under seismic loads has been investigated. Further studies, taking into account the kinematic theorem of limit analysis, are performed on a significant failure mechanism in order to validate the results obtained. Spectral acceleration values are compared for all approaches. The results show detailed information about the global structural behavior of the building and its seismic safety.