Out-of-plane dynamic response of a tuff masonry wall. Shaking table testing and numerical simulation

The out-of-plane dynamic response of a masonry element is investigated, both experimentally and numerically. The results of shaking table tests on a tuff masonry wall, subjected to harmonic acceleration histories, are presented. An isotropic nonlocal damage-plastic model, accounting for the masonry strength-stiffness degrading and hysteresis mechanisms, is introduced in a finite element procedure to numerically describe the masonry structural response. A simplified scheme is analysed, where the wall is completely restrained at the base and free at the top. The measured top displacement history is compared with that numerically evaluated, obtaining a satisfactory agreement. Moreover, the effects of the onset and evolution of the degrading mechanisms in the masonry wall are highlighted.