Numerical methods for masonry structures: a comparative study

This paper is devoted to compare two numerical approaches for mod- elling the dynamic behaviour of masonry structures. The constitutive equation of masonry-like materials with bounded compressive strength and the dynamic problem for both three-dimensional bodies and one- dimensional structures are presented. The numerical methods imple- mented in the codes NOSA and MADY, respectively for three- and one- dimensional structures, are outlined. With the aim of comparing the two numerical procedures, two examples, a masonry tower with rectangular cross-section and a masonry arch, are addressed. The structures are sub- jected to their own weight and to three accelerograms recorded during real earthquakes. The comparison with the numerical results abtained as- suming a linear elastic beahviour for the materials constituting the tower and the arch has stressed the importance of accurate constitutive models for masonries.