Seismic analysis of masonry monuments by an integrated approach that combines the finite element models with a specific mechanistic model

The evaluation of the seismic behaviour of ancient masonry structures requires peculiar procedures, since their response to dynamical loads often differ substantially from those of ordinary buildings. In order to obtain a reliable estimation of the seismic risk, it is desirable to perform full dynamical analyses that describe the effective transmission and dissipation of the energy coming from the ground motion into the structure. In general, modelling the non-linear mechanical behaviour of ancient masonry structures by means of three-dimensional models require a great amount of computational resources that are not commonly available. Luckily, when performing complete dynamical analyses it is often effective to adopt a two-dimensional model rather than a three-dimensional, even if the definition of a simpler model often requires a process of tuning in order to approximate as well as possible the features of the specific kinematics that is of interest.