Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, vol.147, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
© 2021 Elsevier LtdDamage prediction of existing buildings against natural events is a challenge for engineers. Although several approaches have been proposed in the bibliography for damage assessment of steel and concrete structures, more studies are required to survey the damage state of masonry buildings. In this research, seismic damage of a historical masonry building, named Arge-Tabriz, has been assessed using region-specified simulated ground motion records. The main goal of the research is to predict the damage levels of Arge-Tabriz monument under probable earthquakes. Potential scenario earthquakes with different magnitudes are simulated to evaluate the seismic damage of the Arge-Tabriz building. For ground motion simulation of the scenario earthquakes, the stochastic finite-fault methodology, which employs a finite-fault approach comprised of point-source models, is used. The building is modeled using macro-modeling approach; and for the masonry material, concrete damaged plasticity constitutive model is utilized. After performing nonlinear dynamic analyses of the model in ABAQUS commercial software, the damage state of the building is assesses through failure area and failure volume methods, Park-Ang damage index, performance limits proposed by FEMA 356, and finally tensile damage variable DAMAGET as ABAQUS output variable. The accuracy of the employed numerical method is verified through comparison of the developed damage patterns with the existing damage patterns of the building. The results disclose that failure area and failure volume indices have the highest accuracy, while the drift limits of FEMA 356 have the lowest precision to predict the damage level of the building. The application of region-specific simulated scenario earthquakes reveals that the building has adequate strength to resist against weak seismic events and it experiences moderate damage, keeping up its whole stability under moderate potential events; while it is susceptible to collapse against severe earthquakes, and therefore, a rehabilitation scheme seems to be essential for preserving this valuable heritage.