Ls-dyna numerical simulation of full scale masonry cavity wall terraced house tested dynamically

The northern region of the Netherlands near Groningen has been subjected to induced earthquakes in recent years. This region is home to a large number of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures that have not been designed with the necessity of seismic resistance in mind. Many of these structures are terraced houses, which are long blocks of residential units typically constructed with unreinforced cavity brick walls and rigid diaphragms. To address a lack of information on the seismic response of this construction typology specific to Dutch practice, an experimental campaign was begun in 2015 at the EUCENTRE laboratory in Pavia, Italy, which included a fullscale shake table test of a specimen representing a Dutch terraced house. The numerical simulation of the test forms part of the validation of analysis methods used in seismic assessments of URM buildings in the Groningen region. A finite element model of the specimen was constructed, including the URM walls, concrete floors, timber roof, and elements representing the nonlinear behaviour of connections between these components. The model was analysed using the finite element software LS-DYNA, for which a material model representing unreinforced masonry has been written. This paper first provides a description of the terraced house test program. Next, a description of the LS-DYNA model of the terraced house specimen is provided. This is followed by the results of the LS-DYNA simulation and a comparison against the behaviour exhibited in the experiment. The model was shown to be capable of accurately simulating the seismic performance of the specimen in terms of its structural capacity, damage pattern and hysteretic energy dissipation. Subsequently presented are lessons learned in terms of modelling assumptions that influenced the accuracy of the simulation.