Chee Yin Lam(a) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0804-6092
Mark J. Masia(a) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1991-9602
Igor A. Chaves(a) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8619-3883
Md Akhtar Hossain(a) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7216-7238
(a) Critical Infrastructure Performance and Reliability Group, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, Australia.

ABSTRACT

Wall tie deterioration in masonry veneer and cavity wall systems is a critical issue that affects the structural reliability of many existing masonry structures. This study investigates the performance of finite element model updating (FEMU) method to identify deteriorated ties and the structural implications of tie deterioration in masonry veneer walls subjected to out-of-plane loading. While FEMU effectively indicated tie deterioration by calibrating the Young’s moduli of ties using experimental vibration data, the physical representability was constrained in terms of assessing damage severity and differentiating between governing failure mechanisms in the veneer wall system. Therefore, a subsequent non-linear pushover analysis was carried out to assess the out-of-plane loading capacity of a one-storey veneer wall under different tie deterioration scenarios. The pushover results indicated that tie buckling primarily governed the peak loads of the veneer wall systems under inward loading, while interface cracking governed the peak load under outward loading. It was concluded that the loading capacity was influenced by both the total number of intact ties and the precise locations of deteriorated ties, with tie deterioration that occurred near the top of the veneer wall causing a greater reduction in loading capacity. The findings highlight the critical role of tie configuration in resisting out-of-plane loading and the crucial need to assess tie condition regularly for the maintenance of multi-wythe masonry structures. Keywords: finite element model updating, masonry, optimisation, response surface model, wall tie, out-of-plane loading, non-linear pushover analysis