Advanced non-linear quasi-static and dynamic analysis of historical masonry buildings accounting for the spatial anisotropy of the structural response

The proposed study aims to investigate the Non-linear Quasi-Static and dynamic response of historic masonry buildings explicitly accounting for the planimetric anisotropy of the structural response. Historic masonry buildings frequently exhibit irregular geometry and a heterogeneous spatial distribution of material mechanical properties. As a result, the structure exhibits different responses depending on the direction in the horizontal plane along which the applied horizontal action acts, whether under static or dynamic loading. To investigate how this anisotropy influences the evaluation of structural safety, the present study uses Non-Linear Quasi-Static and Dynamic Numerical Analyses by rotating the reference system for the application of the loading. In this work Palazzo Carmelo, a historic building located in the city of Cerignola (Apulia, Southern Italy), is adopted as a case study. The building is characterised by a highly irregular plan layout and a heterogeneous distribution of structural element strength, making it a comprehensive and complex case study with data available in the literature. A detailed 3D Finite Element model of this case study is developed in ABAQUS. The mechanical behaviour of the materials is modelled through the available Concrete Damage Plasticity constitutive law. The results highlight that, within the numerical modelling of historic masonry buildings, evaluating the anisotropy of the structural response is of significant importance and should be systematically incorporated into engineering practice.