Authors : Hassan Bagheri, Mohammad Safi and Amanallah Shabankareh
Abstract: Generally, buildings with masonry materials are among the numerous structures in any country due to ease of implementation, cost effectiveness and availability of their materials. The history of previous earthquakes shows that if these structures are positioned in the epicenter area of earthquakes >5.5 on the Richter scale they will at risk of cracking and collapse. Openings in brick buildings have always been considered as a weakness increasing the probability of collapse in these buildings. Architecture considerations and operational requirements cannot allow removing this important weakness. Therefore, their presence in masonry buildings multiples the risks of lateral forces, especially earthquake and necessitates performing more studies in this regard. This study investigates the behavior of masonry walls with layouts having matrix pattern for the openings to optimize the appropriate position and geometry for the walls having opening. All numerical models in this study were developed via. ABAQUS Software under pushover analysis using finite element method. The correct pattern of positioning the opening at the center of the wall was determined based on the results obtained. In other words the best position for opening in terms of length and width is at the center of the wall so that, the center of area of the opening coincides with that of the wall.
Hassan Bagheri, Mohammad Safi and Amanallah Shabankareh, 2017. A Numerical Study on Optimizing the Geometry and Location of the Openings in Masonry Walls using Finite Element Method. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 12: 2402-2414.