Mesoscale and macroscale modelling for nonlinear analysis of masonry wall structures under cyclic loading
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Bomben, Luca
Macorini, Lorenzo
Chisari, Corrado
Izzuddin, Bassam
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The paper investigates the nonlinear response of unreinforced masonry wall components under seismic loading. Finite element models formulated according to different scales of representation for masonry are compared, focusing on the hysteretic behaviour under in-plane cyclic loading up to collapse. To this aim, brick-masonry wall structures, including two panels with different aspect ratios and a large two-storey perforated wall, as well as block-masonry wall panels subjected to various vertical loads, all previously tested under horizontal cyclic loading, are analysed. The results of macro and mesoscale simulations are compared against the experimental findings to assess the ability to represent strength and stiffness degradation and the amount of dissipated energy. Emphasis is laid upon the objectivity of the definition and calibration of the model material parameters to assess how their selection affects the response predictions. The comparison highlights differences in predictive accuracy, numerical robustness, variability of results, and computational cost. The results show that the macroscale approach adopted herein, despite its computational robustness, yields widely variable results and may significantly deviate from experimental observations. In contrast, the mesoscale results appear less scattered and accurate, but the computational burden is far more significant.
Date Issued
2025-12-01
Date Acceptance
2025-09-12
Citation
Structures, 2025, 82
ISSN
2352-0124
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Structures
Volume
82
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Institution of Structural Engineers. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
110209
Date Publish Online
2025-10-17