Aplicación de elementos de volumen representativos (RVE) en el análisis estructural de fachadas de adobe influenciadas por variaciones paramétricas

Abstract

The present degree work focuses on the variation of the homogenized mechanical properties of the RVE for the modeling of adobe facades. This study focuses on how parametric characteristics, such as the arrangement of adobe blocks and mortar, as well as the thickness of the walls, influence their structural behavior. To carry out this research, finite element models of adobe block and mortar arrangements were modeled in STKO software, obtaining the essential mechanical properties. These properties were used to model the structural behavior of two typical adobe facades: one of one level and the other of two levels, using the computational homogenization method. The paper is structured in five chapters. Initially, the importance of understanding and improving the structural strength of adobe buildings is emphasized. Subsequently, a historical context of adobe constructions in Cuenca is given and the concepts related to the computational homogenization technique are described. Later, the micro modeling of Representative Volume Elements (RVE) for the facade materials is detailed, defining the variation parameters, and analyzing the results obtained. Immediately, the implementation of the mechanical properties obtained in the macro models of the facades is presented, performing modal analysis and pushover nonlinear analyses to evaluate the structural behavior under seismic loads. Finally, results are presented on how the variation parameters have significant impact on the structural response of the adobe façades and on the potential damage presented for the analyzed façades. This study provides a crucial basis for the design and rehabilitation of historic buildings, being a tool to optimize their structural resistance and performance under seismic events.