Out-of-plane seismic response of masonry façades using discrete macro-element and rigid block models

This paper investigates the out-of-plane response of masonry façades under earthquakes by means of two different approaches. A discrete macro-element approach, based on modelling the structure by means of spatial deformable macro-elements interacting through nonlinear zero-thickness interfaces, and the classical approach in which the masonry façade is assumed as a rigid block subjected to earthquake loading. The latter method neglects the elasticity of the masonry element and contemplates the energy dissipation only at each impact by means of a coefficient of restitution. The results of dynamic non-linear analyses, performed with the two methods on a real case of a church façade, provide a first comparison between the two approaches highlighting some limits of application of the simplified rigid block model.