Implications of cumulated seismic damage on the seismic performance of unreinforced masonry buildings

The seismic capacity of a structure is a function of the characteristics of the system as well as of its state, which is mainly affected by previous damage and deterioration. The cumulative damage from repeated shocks (for example during a seismic sequence or due to multiple events affecting an unrepaired building stock) affects the vulnerability of masonry buildings for subsequent events. This paper proposes an analytical methodology for the derivation of state-dependent fragility curves,taking into account cumulated seismic damage,whilst neglecting possible ageing effects. The methodology is based on nonlinear dynamic analyses of an equivalent single degree of freedom system,properly calibrated to reproduce the static and dynamic behaviour of the structure. An application of the proposed methodology to an unreinforced masonry case study building is also presented. The effect of cumulated damage on the seismic response of this prototype masonry building is further studied by means of nonlinear dynamic analyses with the accelerograms recorded during a real earthquake sequence that occurred in Canterbury (New Zealand) between 2010 and 2012.