Spectrum-Based Assessment of Damaged Low-Rise Masonry Building

Seismic performance evaluation of existing buildings is essential for defining effective mitigation strategies in earthquake-prone regions. This study investigates the seismic performance of low-rise unreinforced masonry (URM) residential buildings located in several cities in the Albanian territory. Material properties were obtained from experimental tests conducted on representative samples and subsequently adopted in the development of analytical models. Three-dimensional finite element models were generated based on the collected geometric data and experimentally determined material characteristics. Nonlinear static (pushover) analyses were carried out to assess the seismic capacity and identify the potential failure mechanisms of the buildings. The numerical results showed significant variation in performance depending on the building typology, with some cases reaching the near-collapse limit state under design-level earthquakes. The capacity curves and performance points obtained from the models demonstrate the pronounced influence of construction techniques, boundary conditions, and material properties on the seismic response. The results indicated that URM residential buildings exhibit distinctive seismic performance characteristics influenced by their construction techniques and material properties. Based on the findings, recommendations for retrofit strategies are proposed to enhance the seismic resilience of such structures.