PSI - Issue 44

Franco Braga et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 44 (2023) 331–338 Franco Braga et al. / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2022) 000–000

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Fig. 4. The graph shows, for each configuration, the average damage in the case of effective (green bars) and ineffective (orange bars) connections to the masonry angles. The broken line in red highlights the difference in damage for each configuration.

Therefore, the quality of the masonry and, consequently, a better resisting system contributes to the significant reduction of the damage detected: in fact, a cohesive masonry involves an increase in the bracing surface due to the greater involvement of the intersections. In fact, consider that the masonry surface area at the intersections can indicatively be estimated to the extent of about a quarter of that related to the direction of least resistance, and this ratio tends to increase significantly in the case of thick septa (80 cm - 1 m) and in the case of large openings. The contribution of effective connections, linked to masonry with good cohesion, thus reduces the possibility of activation of mode I mechanisms and also improves the seismic response of the structure with respect to mechanisms in the plane.

Fig. 5. The graph shows the average damage for the four combinations given by the effectiveness of storey connections and connections at masonry intersections evaluated for poor or average masonry, unencumbered masonry in false and without having staggered decks.

Lastly, the graph shown in Fig. 5 compares the effects of connections at masonry intersections and floor connections: the least damage, equal to 0.167, occurs, as would be expected, in the case of masonry connections and effective floor connections, the greatest (0.494) in the case of ineffectiveness of both. With reference to the remaining two cases, as already represented, the greatest benefits occur in the case of connection to the angles to the effective hammers (damage equal to 0.273) than in the case of effective floor connections alone (damage equal to 0.342).