Structural response of unreinforced masonry buildings subjected to tsunami-loading
Journal of Building Engineering, cilt.129, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 129
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.jobe.2026.116767
- Dergi Adı: Journal of Building Engineering
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, INSPEC
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Climate change, Debris, Discrete element method, Masonry, Probabilistic assessment, Tsunami loading
- Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, commonly found in many coastal regions, exhibit significant vulnerability under tsunami-induced loading, particularly due to out-of-plane (OOP) failure mechanisms. This study presents a comprehensive framework to evaluate the structural response of URM buildings subjected to tsunami-induced hydrostatic, hydrodynamic, and debris impact forces, using advanced nonlinear modeling. A discontinuum-based computational model using the discrete element method (DEM), and verified on a large-scale laboratory experiment, is adopted to simulate the complex nonlinear behavior of masonry structures under such loading. A probabilistic Monte Carlo-based procedure was used to derive 250 tsunami loading scenarios informed by geophysical and sea-level data from the California coastline, including future sea-level variations due to climate change. Simulation results reveal that 87% of the scenarios led to global collapse, primarily involving OOP failure of transverse walls and in-plane rocking or diagonal cracking of façades, aligning well with field-based fragility assessments. Unlike previous studies, this research integrates all tsunami loading components based on ASCE/SEI 7-22 minimum design loads criteria, accommodates parameter uncertainties, and captures detailed progressive damage patterns. The findings demonstrate the critical influence of both the magnitude and effective area of tsunami loads on failure modes, offering insights for future design codes and vulnerability assessments. This interdisciplinary work advances current modeling practices by bridging coastal and structural engineering domains to support tsunami-resilient URM structures.