Pushover and dynamic analysis of URM buildings by means of a non-linear macro-element model

A mechanical macro-element model representative of the in-plane nonlinear behaviour of masonry piers and lintels (with shear-sliding, bending-rocking damage mechanisms and compressive crushing) has been used to realize models of masonry walls and whole three-dimensional buildings. Both for two- and three-dimensional models, several structural analysis procedures have been implemented: non-linear incremental, pushover, modal and non-linear dynamic. The numerical simulation of an interesting quasi-static experimental test on a full scale prototype building has been used as significant validation of the model implemented in the TREMURI code. Pushover analysis permits to obtain the capacity curve of the 3-dimensional building and this result can be used in the Capacity Spectrum Method in order to determine the expected seismic performance. The results can be then verified by time-history non-linear analyses. Finally, a new fast implementation of the Capacity Spectrum Method, according to the inelastic demand spectra approach, is presented: it allows to avoid iterative procedures and it is very effective, in particular, for seismic damage scenario studies, where buildings vulnerability can be described by bilinear capacity curves.