Modelling of two damaged unreinforced masonry buildings following the Canterbury earthquakes

Abstract

The reported study focusedon modellingthe seismic response of two URM buildings that were damaged in the Canterbury earthquake sequence. Static and dynamic nonlinear analyses were undertakenusing the equivalent frame approach. Actual time-history records attained during the earthquakes where used to undertake dynamic analyses and facilitatedirect comparison to the observed building damage. The results showedthat use of the equivalent frame methodenabledpredictionof the seismic responseof the two case study buildings with ahigh level of accuracy