Parametric Study on Confined Masonry Walls Subjected to In-plane Cyclic Loading Through Numerical Modeling

Results of numerical study on confined masonry walls are described in this paper, which presents a discussion on the behavior of confined masonry walls with different aspect and reinforcement ratio subjected to the in-plane horizontal loads, using advanced numerical simulations in LS-DYNA environment. A non-linear finite element micro-model based on smeared crack and total strain-stress models is used to examine existing tested masonry walls. The masonry units include solid clay bricks and concrete blocks, the mortar and bonding interfaces between the units and mortar have been lumped in continuum elements. In order to validate micro-modeling strategy the input data is based on a combined confined wall which was previously tested in the literature with a clearly identification and justification. The numerical results are presented as force-displacement curves, types of failure modes, ductility and energy absorption. It was observed that the confined walls with an aspect ratio of (h/l=1) shows better performance in terms of resisting mechanism, deformability and energy absorption.