PSI - Issue 66

Umberto De Maio et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 66 (2024) 486–494 Author name / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2025) 000–000

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Fig. 5. Structural response of the masonry structure obtained by the proposed model: (a) Maximum pressure versus out-of-plane displacement, (b) Volumetric plastic strain and pressure distribution at different time steps, (c) Volumetric plastic strain in the XZ plane.

4. Conclusions In this work a multilevel fluid-structure interaction model to predict the damage behavior of masonry buildings subjected to flash floods is developed. By combining a macroscale fluid model and a mesoscale structural model, the research provides an accurate simulation of the dynamic interaction between fluid flow and structures. The proposed framework has been used to analyze the structural behavior of a masonry buildings subjected to flooding. The numerical results, in terms of load carrying capacity and damage patterns, are compared with numerical outcomes obtained by a static approach proposed in (Reeder et al., 2021), demonstrating the reliability of the proposed numerical framework in predicting the structural response of masonry constructions under flash flood events. Moreover, the results indicate that while the overall structure may remain intact under certain flood conditions, localized plastic deformations occur, particularly in areas with reduced stiffness, such as near the base or around structural discontinuities. These findings highlight the importance of considering site-specific conditions and potential weak points in masonry buildings to enhance resilience. Future research should focus on further improving the model by integrating reinforcement strategies to mitigate damage in critical areas and investigating the structural performance under different dynamic loading scenarios. Additionally, the approach can be extended to other types of natural hazards, further contributing to the understanding and mitigation of risks in urban environments. Acknowledgements U. De Maio, F. Greco, P. Lonetti, and G. Sgambitterra gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Next Generation EU - Italian NRRP, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.5, call for the creation and strengthening of