Determinación de vulnerabilidad de las paredes de mampostería típicas de Cuenca por medio de análisis experimental y numérico

Abstract

With the objective of measuring the influence of the construction material typically used in buildings in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, in its seismic resistance and response to a seismic event. This research focuses on the analysis of the panel brick as the main material, proposing a micro-modeling method to obtain the computationally homogenized properties that will serve to define macromodels and characterize walls and buildings. The procedure starts by performing experimental analysis on bricks, mortars and walls, to determine the basic properties of the brick and mortar that serve to calibrate a micro model. Then, at the macro level, three case studies are modeled and simulated, which are representative of typical two- story houses with masonry walls of brick paneling and attached to their ends, belonging to the sector of Totoracocha in Cuenca. The analyses performed in these case studies include a modal and nonlinear (pushover) analysis only in facades, to compare with capacity curves and in-elastic spectra of the city and estimate the probable damage that the buildings would suffer in an earthquake. The results allow for a more accurate identification of the most vulnerable areas of the structure, allowing for the anticipation of possible damage and the improvement of reinforcement and risk mitigation strategies. This study seeks to raise awareness of the importance of performing a more complete structural analysis, focused on masonry, and to consider the use of more resistant elements during project execution, since masonry is particularly vulnerable to seismic damage