Modeling and Analysis of Unreinforced Masonry Structures for Seismic Assessment and Retrofit

Fei Zeng (zengfei@ce.ccny.cuny.edu), and Professor Feng-bao Lin (flin@ce.ccny.cuny.edu)

Dept. of Civil Engineering, The City College of the City University of New York, Convent Avenue at 138th Street, New York, NY 10031 Phone: 212 650 8347

1. Introduction and Motivation

3. Modelling Procedure

Masonry structures are made of blocks linked by mortar joints.

Many unreinforced masonry structure such as the ancient Roman churches and bridges are widely present throughout
the world.
Past earthquakes have revealed that these masonry structures suffer most severe damage from the earthquake and
encourage the need to reliably asses the seismic performance and strength of this type of structures.

In this project, the Brooklyn Bridge subjected to earthquake is investigated. The unreinforced masonry towers are
the most prominent features of the bridge that make its seismic study challenging.
The main span of the Brooklyn Bridge has almost 1,600 feet long and was the longest suspension bridge in the world
at the time of its completion in 1883 and has been one of New York Citys landmarks.
According to the seismic criteria established by the NYCDOT, the Brooklyn Bridge is to be evaluated and retrofitted
for two earthquake levels: A 2500-year and 500-year return period event.

The tower is modeled by ABAQUS based on its original configuration . The finite element model was created using a
4-noded brick elements (C3D4).
The Rock Acceleration Response Spectra for the 2500-year and 500-year periods with damping ration 5% was input as
the earthquake acceleration history of the structure.

4. Results
Numerical simulation analysis
1st mode,

Mohr-Coulomb
constitutive law

1 = 11.0

2nd mode, 2 = 16.9

3rd mode,

3 = 33.2

Contact
algorithm

Modal Analysis

2.Modeling Strategy
Considering the towers are the critical components for a suspension bridge,
the modeling of a tower is able to capture the important nonlinear response
of the bridge.
The numerical modeling of the seismic behavior of masonry structure is a
very computationally demanding problem. The complexity arises from the
fact that the behavior is highly non-linear, governed primarily by joint
failure rather than material failure.
Our approach is implemented by the ABAQUS program and a specialized
discrete element software UDEC, in which large displacements and rotations
between blocks are accomplished due to the application of the MohrCoulomb plasticity model.

5. Summary

Stone
failure

Joint
failure
b

The Mohr-Coulomb plasticity model is valid for modeling the joint behavior of masonry structure under complex
loading conditions.
Preliminary modal analysis gives the mode shape and characteristic frequency for this masonry tower, which provides
the foundation of further seismic analysis for the whole tower.
The discrete element technique is appropriate to dynamic masonry simulation although more test and field experience
is required to verify simulation.
Possible failure pattern and mechanism will be explored later on when the tower structure is subjected to a 2500-year
and 500-year return period earthquake event.
Based on the above seismic analysis, a retrofitted scheme will be further suggested and evaluated by the FEM
approach.