Abstract
The reliable simulation of dynamic out-of-plane behavior in unreinforced masonry (URM) walls is essential for assessing the seismic performance of structures. Given the complexities involved in modeling masonry's nonlinear and anisotropic properties as well as dynamic response, developing robust computational methods is a critical challenge in structural engineering.
In this seminar, a high-fidelity block-based numerical methodology designed for the dynamic analysis of URM walls will be presented. Initially developed for static and quasi-static conditions, the model has been adapted to handle dynamic scenarios through the incorporation of Rayleigh damping in blocks to manage energy dissipation. The seminar will outline the process of adopting this methodology, from the initial model design to its successful application in dynamic simulations. Validation of the methodology will be demonstrated against experimental benchmarks, including incremental dynamic shake table tests on one-way and two-way spanning walls with different geometries and boundary conditions.
The seminar will also explore how this approach has been used to explore various challenges in understanding masonry wall behavior under seismic loads, sensitivity analyses with respect to different parameters, the effects of different boundary conditions and in-plane pre-damages on the response, and the behavior of gable walls under differential and uniform boundary motions. By providing an overview of these applications, the seminar aims to showcase the versatility and reliability of the developed numerical framework, offering valuable insights into both the academic and practical aspects of seismic analysis in masonry structures.
Bio
Amirhossein Ghezelbash is a PhD candidate in Civil Engineering (Structural Mechanics) at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), specializing in the numerical modeling of unreinforced masonry structures under seismic loading. His research focuses on developing a “computational methodology for modeling the interaction between in-plane and out-of-plane behaviors in masonry walls,” specifically the effects of in-plane pre-damages on the dynamic out-of-plane response. To that end, Amir has collaborated closely with leading experts in the field, including Prof. Jan G. Rots, Dr. Francesco Messali, and Dr. Satyadhrik Sharma (at TU Delft), Prof. Stefano de Miranda and Dr. Antonio Maria D’Altri from the University of Bologna (Unibo in Italy), and Prof. Paulo B. Lourenço from the University of Minho (UMinho in Portugal) to develop an appropriate methodology for the detailed simulation of the dynamic out-of-plane behaviors of URM walls. He has also spent some time as a visiting researcher in the Historical and Masonry Structures group of Prof. Lourenço (at UMinho) for 4 months in 2023, and the research group of Prof. de Miranda at (at Unibo) in 2024. Amir's work contributes to improving the seismic assessment and preservation of masonry structures, advancing the field of structural analysis with robust modeling techniques.