Modellazione e analisi non lineare di murature esistenti

The aim of this thesis work is to develop a simplified method for non linear analysis of masonry structures subjected to seismic action, throughout the implementation of an high versatility and simple-use code, in order to have a balanced compromise between theoretical and experimental efficiency and practical applicability. The code, written for Microsoft Excel using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.3 programming language, aims for guiding the structural designer, through a simple and intuitive interface, in the delicate task of a non linear analysis of masonry wall loaded in its own plane, giving, in correspondence of each load step, a punctual and intuitive representation of its elements, instantly defining the critical masonry panels and their failure mode. Thanks to a user-friendly interface, the user can insert geometrical and mechanical features of masonry wall, easily arriving to define the equivalent frame model and the capacity curve. Through the calculus of the seismic request and the evaluation of performance point, the code guides the user to the focused identification of proper improvement interventions, either decreasing seismic demand or increasing seismic capacity. Since I am an Officer of Italian Army Corps of Engineers, a code like the one developed could be efficiently used by military engineers for seismic vulnerability verifications of so called strategic buildings: with this application, each military unit could carry out a first approach (characterized by an acceptable compromise between rapidity and accuracy of the supplied results) for that kind of structures, identifying the main critical issues related to military buildings and designing, if necessary, the adequate improvement interventions, in order to carefully program the externalization of seismic vulnerability analysis services provided for by actual law.