Seismic Strengthening and Numerical Modeling of Masonry Walls Under Cyclic Loading

The Moroccan medina is characterized by clay-brick masonry edifices, which can be structurally vulnerable because of their limited seismic resistance. Therefore, some kind of intervention is sought to improve the structural performance of these traditional buildings. This paper presents a numerical investigation of the behavior of masonry walls under gravitational, compressive, and cyclic lateral loads, using an explicit finite element model following the simplified micro-approach. The numerical results prove that the shear response can be impacted by stress redistribution despite the lateral loading being primarily in the vertical di-rection. Thus, this study is foundational for future studies on seismic vulnerability and retrofitting of masonry construction.