Analyses of a Two-Story Unreinforced Masonry Building

A variety of elastic and inelastic analytical approaches were used to investigate the response of a full-scale unreinforced masonry (URM) structure tested in the laboratory. Elastic analyses, employing a three-dimensional finite element model, revealed little coupling between parallel walls, and pointed to the appropriateness of two-dimensional analytical tools for further simulation of the test structure. The nonlinear analytical methods employed included, in order of increasing complexity, a rigid body analysis, a two-dimensional nonlinear pushover analysis, and a three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis. All methods considered important structural characteristics such as failure modes of perforated walls, flange effects, and global overturning moment effect. All methods predicted the experimental behavior fairly well. Strengths and weaknesses of these analytical approaches are discussed, and recommendations for analyzing old URM buildings are presented.