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Understanding the out‐of‐plane behavior of unreinforced masonry walls is crucial in seismic assessment of existing buildings. Here, the dynamic response of a vertical spanning strip wall, connected to a flexible diaphragm at the top, is investigated. Despite the simplicity of the model, two rocking rigid bodies elastically restrained at the top, the dynamic response is highly nonlinear. This behavior is due to different phenomena: when in motion the system may assume different configurations, with the transition between them due either to impacts or crack opening caused by ground acceleration. An analytical model capable to capture the complex dynamic response of the system is implemented. The equations of motion are first derived, using variational methods, then the events that the system can undergo during motion are studied. Finally, in order to show the potential of the model, some numerical exemplifications are presented applying an earthquake record and a sine pulse to the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing unreinforced masonry buildings frequently suffer out-of-plane local collapse mechanisms when undergoing earthquake ground motion. The energy damping that occurs during the motion, due to impacts of a wall against the foundation or against other walls, is a relevant parameter on the response. An experimental investigation has been carried out to estimate the dissipation of kinetic energy that takes place during free oscillations. Restraint conditions allow for two-sided rocking (wall resting on a foundation) and one-sided rocking (wall resting on a foundation adjacent to transverse walls). Five specimens have been tested, modelling walls acted out-of-plane (façades). When one-sided rocking is under consideration, different depths of the contact surface between façade and transverse walls are considered. In the case of two-sided rocking, the experimental coefficient of restitution is slightly lower than the analytic coefficient. In the case of one-sided rocking, an analytic formulation is proposed and this is compared against experimental data. Although the coefficient of restitution of one-sided rocking is less than half that of two-sided rocking, it is not equal to zero. Thus, it cannot induce a sudden stop of the motion. Hence, nonlinear time history analyses performed under this assumption may prove unsafe. Moreover, a comparison has been carried out between overturning maps, induced by twenty natural accelerograms, computed for the analytic coefficient of restitution and those computed for the experimental coefficient of restitution. The increased energy dissipation reduces the frequency of overturning and causes a more regular behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equation of motion of a one way (vertical) spanning strip wall, as an assembly of two rigid bodies, is presented. Only one degree of freedom is needed to completely describe the wall response as the bodies are assumed to be perfectly rectangular and are allowed to rock but not to slide horizontally. Furthermore, no arching action occurs since vertical motion of the upper body is not restrained. Consequently, the equation of motion is nonlinear, with non constant coefficients and a Coriolis acceleration term. Phenomena associated with overburden to self weight ratio, motion triggering, impulsive energy dissipation, amplitude dependency of damping and period of vibration, and scale effect are discussed, contributing to a more complete understanding of experimental observations and to an estimation of system parameters based on the wall characteristics, such as intermediate hinge height and energy damping, necessary to perform nonlinear time history analyses. A comparison to a simple standing, or parapet, wall is developed in order to better highlight the characteristics of this assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]