Abstract
The assessment of the rocking and overturning response of rigid blocks to earthquakes is a complex task, due to its high sensitivity to the input motion, variations in geometry and dissipation issues. This paper presents a literature review dealing with classical and advanced approaches on rocking motion with particular reference to masonry walls characterized by a monolithic behavior. Firstly, the pioneering work of Housner based on the concept of the inverted pendulum is discussed in terms of the most significant parameters, i.e., the size and slenderness of the blocks, the coefficient of restitution and ground motion properties. Free and restrained rocking blocks are considered. Then, static force-based approaches and performance-based techniques, mostly based on limit analysis theory, are presented to highlight the importance of investigating the evolution of the rocking mechanisms by means of pushover curves characterized by negative stiffness. From a dynamic perspective, a review of probabilistic approaches is also presented, evaluating the cumulative probability of exceedance of any response level by considering different earthquake time histories. Some recent simplified approaches based on the critical rocking response and the worst-case scenario are illustrated, as well.
Highlights
Masonry buildings are constituted of three-dimensional assemblies of walls, where the out-of-plane behavior of each wall is highly influenced by the type and strength of connection with the others
If a monolithic behavior can be assured for such walls, they can be regarded as rigid blocks, and their out-of-plane seismic response can be treated through two fundamental approaches
Discrete and finite elements can be used to assess the response of masonry structures under earthquakes [7], but those involve many uncertainties mainly related to the definition of the constitutive laws of the materials and are more suitable to masonry walls far from monolithic behavior
Summary
Masonry buildings are constituted of three-dimensional assemblies of walls, where the out-of-plane behavior of each wall is highly influenced by the type and strength of connection with the others. This paper proposes an extensive review on kinematic and rocking approaches for monolithic masonry walls, regarded as rigid blocks on rigid foundations, including recent developments and different models accounting for lateral constraints. These modeling approaches can be used for defining the non-linear static and dynamic response of masonry buildings, especially the historic ones, for which macro-elements and their connections play a crucial role in the seismic vulnerability assessment [12,13,14,15,16]. The deterministic and probabilistic methods of the rocking analysis (Section 7)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
