Nonlinear analysis of a one-story low-rise masonry building with a flexible diaphragm subjected to seismic excitation

This paper investigates the response of a half-scale one-story reinforced masonry building with a flexible diaphragm subjected to shaking table tests in prior research. A simplified multiple degrees-of-freedom approach developed by the authors is applied to the building. The study focuses on defining appropriate structural properties for accurate prediction of the dynamic response. A model calibration process is performed to determine the required structural properties based on the elastic and inelastic test responses. This approach is necessary since it is difficult to quantify accurately the in-plane and out-of-plane stiffness, strength, and hysteresis using simplified equations specified in current seismic codes and standards. Comparisons are made between the structural properties obtained by this calibration process and by simple strength of materials type procedures.