ABSTRACT
Considering the likely unfavorable behavior under seismic action of adobe construction, the present work aims at providing a seismic fragility characterization of two adobe Portuguese traditional buildings, using numerical models calibrated over experimental results. Two case-study buildings in the region of Aveiro, were numerically modeled to estimate their structural behavior under seismic loading. Adobe material properties were calibrated based on the experimental results of a cyclic in-plane test of a full-scale I-shaped adobe wall. The method chosen to characterize adobe masonry and model its nonlinear behavior followed a total strain crack-based macro-modelling (TSCM) approach, whereas pushover analysis was carried out to reproduce the pseudo-static experimental test in order to allow a refined calibration of adobe masonry mechanical properties. Fragility functions were then derived, based on the above-mentioned numerical models, using nonlinear static analysis, bringing further insight on the seismic fragility of traditional Portuguese adobe dwellings.
