Evaluating damping schemes for the discontinuum seismic analysis of masonry cross-vaults

Evaluating damping schemes for the discontinuum seismic analysis of masonry cross-vaults | 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 Evaluating damping schemes for the discontinuum seismic analysis of masonry cross-vaults Yopi Prabowo Oktiovan, José V. Lemos, Bora Pulatsu, Francesco Messali, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7067819/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Simulating the seismic behavior of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures is challenging due to their susceptibility to large deformations and significant damage. Capturing this highly nonlinear response requires advanced numerical modeling strategies to represent complex interactions such as block separation, debonding, friction, collision, etc. Discontinuum-based modeling strategies, such as the Distinct Element Method (DEM), are increasingly used in this context, given their explicit representation of bond failure and damage progression from minor cracks up to collapse. DEM relies on the explicit time integration scheme of motion equations; hence, the choice of the damping scheme becomes critical to ensuring accurate predictions in time-domain analysis. Typically, mass-proportional Rayleigh damping is used in dynamic analysis, often without its stiffness-proportional component, which reduces the critical timestep, ensuring numerical stability during the analysis. However, using only mass-proportional damping can skew results by overdamping low-frequency responses and underdamping high frequencies. This study implements and validates an alternative damping approach known as Maxwell damping, where multiple spring-dashpot elements are introduced at unit-mortar interfaces within a simplified micro-modeling framework. This work introduces an optimization algorithm to balance the Maxwell elements without heuristic approaches, ensuring uniform damping responses over the frequency range. The effectiveness of Maxwell damping is evaluated by comparing simulation results with experimental shake-table tests on a full-scale cross-vault URM specimen. The outcome of displacements, accelerations, damage evolution, and computational efficiency is compared with mass-proportional Rayleigh and zero-viscous damping models. This study is the first to establish Maxwell damping as an alternative damping relaxation scheme for seismic analysis of complex masonry systems using DEM. Masonry cross-vault Simplified micro-modeling Distinct Element Method Dynamic analysis Rayleigh damping Maxwell elements Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major Revisions Needed 19 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Jul, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 10 Jul, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 10 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 08 Jul, 2025 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. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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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-7067819","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":483679663,"identity":"b7398cf2-c6aa-4bfc-8a70-a3cdc137253c","order_by":0,"name":"Yopi Prabowo Oktiovan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA9UlEQVRIie3RsWrDMBCA4RM3eLnaq42Tto+gYEgDSeirKBTSpXNnQSBZHLIqb5GpZIuNIF78AB0Nhc7qUjJ0qOy1xPbYQf9yAvFxAgG4XP+2DKiZBoBJj1X2OOkivCFMCUsQRxIg7CTNQOpDeHaTgSl/BkH49Pkxv+jhDtGr2LGN+IKpd06RWj4kL0In+xUyyco2QhzJcOJlNo4tWRx0kEu27kWK73hiyUnXWzqJfRgv0nEM9RbsIJH2Ra7KhKJN+hqly+dE2S1q0UL8YptX5nz7GKD3Fl5m0+FuswLztZ5dJfea7N//SVwFAHeSWm5dLpfLVfcL2BJQtB4W9rkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9660-1932","institution":"Delft University of Technology: Technische Universiteit Delft","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yopi","middleName":"Prabowo","lastName":"Oktiovan","suffix":""},{"id":483679664,"identity":"5130ec84-e3be-4129-bb71-6da344198b24","order_by":1,"name":"José V. 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