Characterization of the dynamic behavior of masonry structural elements with damage

In this paper, the nonlinear static and dynamic response of simple two-dimensional masonry structural elements is investigated, considering a slender and a squat wall. A nonlocal isotropic damage model is adopted and implemented in a two-dimensional nine-node finite element to perform the numerical analyses. To characterize the limit load and the post-peak behavior of the considered structures, the pushover curves are evaluated and compared with the experimental results for the squat wall. With the aim of analyzing the influence of the evolution of the damage mechanism on the dynamic response of masonry structures, the frequency response curves of the slender wall undergoing degrading processes are evaluated and compared with the elastic response. Finally, the dynamic response of the slender wall to natural earthquakes is computed to point out the influence of the damage.