Analytical Derivation of the q-Factor for Slender Masonry Structures Under Out-of-Plane Seismic Action

Slender masonry structures, in the absence of disintegration phenomena, can be idealized as rigid bodies subjected to seismic excitation. In this study, a closed-form expression for the behavior factor (<i>q</i>-factor) associated with overturning collapse under out-of-plane seismic load...

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Main Author: Simona Coccia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Buildings
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2622
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author Simona Coccia
author_facet Simona Coccia
author_sort Simona Coccia
collection DOAJ
description Slender masonry structures, in the absence of disintegration phenomena, can be idealized as rigid bodies subjected to seismic excitation. In this study, a closed-form expression for the behavior factor (<i>q</i>-factor) associated with overturning collapse under out-of-plane seismic loading is derived. The analysis considers five-step pulse seismic inputs. In the proposed approach, valid for slender masonry structures, sliding failure is neglected, and collapse is assumed to occur when, at the end of the seismic excitation, the rotation of the structure reaches a value equal to its slenderness. Based on this criterion, it is possible to derive a formulation for the q-factor as a function of a dimensionless parameter that combines the geometric characteristics of the slender structure and the period of the applied accelerogram. To validate the proposed formulation, a comparative analysis is conducted against the results obtained from a numerical integration of the motion equation using a set of 20 natural accelerograms recorded in Italy. The characteristic period of each accelerogram is evaluated through different methodologies, with the aim of identifying the most suitable approach for application in simplified seismic assessment procedures.
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spelling doaj-art-20ad8f9c003b4cadb1a4d3d82c7cc4fd2025-08-20T04:00:53ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-07-011515262210.3390/buildings15152622Analytical Derivation of the q-Factor for Slender Masonry Structures Under Out-of-Plane Seismic ActionSimona Coccia0Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, ItalySlender masonry structures, in the absence of disintegration phenomena, can be idealized as rigid bodies subjected to seismic excitation. In this study, a closed-form expression for the behavior factor (<i>q</i>-factor) associated with overturning collapse under out-of-plane seismic loading is derived. The analysis considers five-step pulse seismic inputs. In the proposed approach, valid for slender masonry structures, sliding failure is neglected, and collapse is assumed to occur when, at the end of the seismic excitation, the rotation of the structure reaches a value equal to its slenderness. Based on this criterion, it is possible to derive a formulation for the q-factor as a function of a dimensionless parameter that combines the geometric characteristics of the slender structure and the period of the applied accelerogram. To validate the proposed formulation, a comparative analysis is conducted against the results obtained from a numerical integration of the motion equation using a set of 20 natural accelerograms recorded in Italy. The characteristic period of each accelerogram is evaluated through different methodologies, with the aim of identifying the most suitable approach for application in simplified seismic assessment procedures.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2622slender masonry structureq-factorearthquake period
spellingShingle Simona Coccia
Analytical Derivation of the q-Factor for Slender Masonry Structures Under Out-of-Plane Seismic Action
Buildings
slender masonry structure
q-factor
earthquake period
title Analytical Derivation of the q-Factor for Slender Masonry Structures Under Out-of-Plane Seismic Action
title_full Analytical Derivation of the q-Factor for Slender Masonry Structures Under Out-of-Plane Seismic Action
title_fullStr Analytical Derivation of the q-Factor for Slender Masonry Structures Under Out-of-Plane Seismic Action
title_full_unstemmed Analytical Derivation of the q-Factor for Slender Masonry Structures Under Out-of-Plane Seismic Action
title_short Analytical Derivation of the q-Factor for Slender Masonry Structures Under Out-of-Plane Seismic Action
title_sort analytical derivation of the q factor for slender masonry structures under out of plane seismic action
topic slender masonry structure
q-factor
earthquake period
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2622
work_keys_str_mv AT simonacoccia analyticalderivationoftheqfactorforslendermasonrystructuresunderoutofplaneseismicaction