Finite Element Modeling of the Structural Response of Bahareque Walls Under Cyclic Loads

Some communities in Valle del Cauca department (Colombia) live in houses made of bahareque walls. It is important to study the seismic performance of these structures as they are in an earthquake-prone region. This study develops a finite element modeling strategy to assess the cyclic behavior of bahareque walls in Colombia. Two types of walls are analyzed, including wood and guadua for the bare frame. The Puck failure criterion is used. The model is calibrated from results of pseudo-static tests on three walls without infill and two with infill. Results show that the model correctly predicts the first load cycles, but it presents convergence difficulties for higher cycles. It is necessary to further simulate some phenomena, such as the separation of nails in the joints.