Comparative Application of Nonlinear Static Analysis Methods for Seismic Assessment of Masonry Infilled RC Frames

Plenty of Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures have been built in earthquake prone areas during the ‘60s and ’70s of the past century without considering any seismic design rules. Therefore, they are generally vulnerable to seismic actions. Moreover, such structures are generally infilled with masonry walls made of heavy natural or artificial blocks. Although the mechanical contribution of masonry infills is generally neglected in the common design practice, the observation of damage induced by recent seismic events has pointed out that they significantly affect the seismic response of structures. Hence, several models have been proposed with the aim to simulate their seismic behaviour, though no well-established methods are still available for evaluating the global response of infilled frames. However, several proposals, based on extending the N2 Method, have been developed. The present paper proposes a parametric study intended at comparing the output of two of the aforementioned procedures: their accuracy and reliability is assessed herein by means of both dynamic and static nonlinear analyses.