Computational modeling of structural masonry shear walls considering cracking effects at mortar joints

Abstract

Abstract: This study presents a computational model to analyze structural masonry shear walls behavior considering the effects of mortar joint cracking on loss of stiffness. The simplified equivalent frame model was used but including link elements between the frame node to simulate the effects of cracking. The analyses were conducted using the SAP2000 computer program and consisted of modeling four shear walls on a 1/3 scale which were experimentally assessed. The results indicated that the proposed computational modeling approach consistently reproduced the effects of cracking at mortar joints, accurately simulating the nonlinear behavior of masonry.