Helen Crowley Researcher

The paper presents the calibration, using experimental and numerical investigations, of a nonlinear static analytical displacement-based method for seismic risk assessment of stone masonry buildings of Pakistan. The displacement-based method uses the mechanical models: defined completely by secant vibration period, drift limit states and viscous damping of structural material, and overdamped displacement spectrum to assess the seismic performance of structures and quantify regional seismic risk. A one-third scaled model, representing the existing construction practices, single storey one room rubble stone masonry buildings is tested on shake table using real accelerograms and incremental excitation to reproduce the capacity curve of the considered building. The experimental data is analyzed to obtain the lateral strength, drift limits, and damage scale of rubble stone masonry. Furthermore, the experimental data is used to develop prototype 2D structural models for nonlinear dynamic time history analysis of stone masonry buildings using equivalent frame method. Two storey 2D structural models are designed, respecting the considered material properties, and analyzed using real accelerograms to derive equivalent static single degree of freedom systems and their corresponding secant vibration period for the considered buildin