Post-diction analysis of an unreinforced masonry building aggregate using the Discrete Macro-Element Method

Post-diction analysis of an unreinforced masonry building aggregate using the Discrete Macro-Element Method | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Post-diction analysis of an unreinforced masonry building aggregate using the Discrete Macro-Element Method Raffaella Vezzosi, Giulia De Maria, Federica Vadalà, Annalisa Greco, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9315392/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Unreinforced masonry (URM) aggregate buildings constitute a significant portion of the European built heritage and are widely distributed in historic urban centres. Their seismic assessment remains particularly challenging due to geometric irregularities, material heterogeneity, and the complex interaction mechanisms between adjacent structural units. In this context, the SERA-AIMS experimental campaign provides a valuable benchmark for the validation of numerical modelling strategies through shaking table tests on a half-scale masonry aggregate. This study presents a post-diction analysis of the SERA-AIMS specimen using a three-dimensional Discrete Macro-Element Method (DMEM) model implemented in the HiStrA software. The numerical model is calibrated on the basis of available experimental data and further refined through sensitivity analyses aimed at assessing the influence of the most relevant mechanical parameters on the structural response. Nonlinear analyses, including Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) and pushover analysis, are performed to investigate the seismic behaviour of the prototype. The results show that the proposed model is able to reproduce the global response of the specimen with satisfactory accuracy, particularly in terms of base shear and failure mechanisms, while maintaining limited computational demand. However, the model tends to underestimate displacement demand at high seismic intensity levels. Overall, the study confirms the potential of the DMEM approach as an efficient numerical tool for the seismic assessment of masonry aggregates, while also highlighting the need for further developments to improve the prediction of displacement capacity and damage evolution. masonry aggregate buildings nonlinear dynamic analysis Discrete Macro-Element Method Incremental Dynamic Analysis sensitivity analysis post-diction analysis Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 07 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 07 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 05 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9315392","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":619176180,"identity":"396829fd-c74f-4485-8269-39d486747358","order_by":0,"name":"Raffaella Vezzosi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Catania: Universita degli Studi di Catania","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Raffaella","middleName":"","lastName":"Vezzosi","suffix":""},{"id":619176181,"identity":"0a6d88bc-afbd-412a-90fc-fc620853a0a7","order_by":1,"name":"Giulia De Maria","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Catania: 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Their seismic assessment remains particularly challenging due to geometric irregularities, material heterogeneity, and the complex interaction mechanisms between adjacent structural units. In this context, the SERA-AIMS experimental campaign provides a valuable benchmark for the validation of numerical modelling strategies through shaking table tests on a half-scale masonry aggregate.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study presents a post-diction analysis of the SERA-AIMS specimen using a three-dimensional Discrete Macro-Element Method (DMEM) model implemented in the HiStrA software. The numerical model is calibrated on the basis of available experimental data and further refined through sensitivity analyses aimed at assessing the influence of the most relevant mechanical parameters on the structural response. Nonlinear analyses, including Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) and pushover analysis, are performed to investigate the seismic behaviour of the prototype.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results show that the proposed model is able to reproduce the global response of the specimen with satisfactory accuracy, particularly in terms of base shear and failure mechanisms, while maintaining limited computational demand. However, the model tends to underestimate displacement demand at high seismic intensity levels. Overall, the study confirms the potential of the DMEM approach as an efficient numerical tool for the seismic assessment of masonry aggregates, while also highlighting the need for further developments to improve the prediction of displacement capacity and damage evolution.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Post-diction analysis of an unreinforced masonry building aggregate using the Discrete Macro-Element Method","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-15 19:55:45","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9315392/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2026-04-09T15:24:09+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-07T19:42:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-04-07T11:51:23+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering","date":"2026-04-06T02:09:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bulletin-of-earthquake-engineering","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"beee","sideBox":"Learn more about [Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering](https://www.springer.com/journal/10518)","snPcode":"10518","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10518/3","title":"Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"2be308f6-cd5f-4f42-a31b-b5c1159493c8","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 15th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-15T19:55:45+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-15 19:55:45","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9315392","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9315392","identity":"rs-9315392","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}