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Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering
Discontinuous approaches for nonlinear dynamic analyses of an ancient masonry tower
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Paper Summary
Conflicts of Interest
Identified Weaknesses
Rating Explanation
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Paper Summary
Paperzilla title
Shaky Tower Showdown: Discrete Element Methods Duke It Out (and Predict Real Damage!)
This paper compared two discontinuous numerical modeling approaches (Non-Smooth Contact Dynamics and Discrete Element Method) to simulate the dynamic behavior of a historic masonry tower under earthquake loading. Both methods predicted similar failure mechanisms and cumulative damage patterns consistent with observed damage, though the multi-leaf masonry model provided the most accurate representation.
Possible Conflicts of Interest
None identified
Identified Weaknesses
Reliance on Assumed Material Properties
The paper relies heavily on assumptions about material properties due to the lack of destructive testing, which introduces uncertainty into the model's accuracy and limits the reliability of the results.
High Computational Cost
The computational cost of the analyses, especially for the most detailed model, is extremely high, potentially limiting the practical applicability of this approach for similar studies with limited resources.
Simplified Soil-Structure Interaction
The simplified representation of soil-structure interaction, using a rigid block for the soil, may not accurately capture the complex behavior of the soil and its influence on the tower's response.
Limited Comparison with Other Methods
The study primarily focuses on the comparison between NSCD and DEM methods, without extensively exploring other potential analysis techniques or comparing with experimental data.
Insufficient Sensitivity Analysis
The paper presents a detailed geometric model but lacks a comprehensive sensitivity analysis on parameters like element size or the number of blocks, limiting the understanding of the model's robustness.
Rating Explanation
This paper presents a strong application of discontinuous numerical methods (NSCD and DEM) for assessing the seismic vulnerability of a historical masonry tower. The detailed geometric modeling and consideration of multiple earthquake shocks represent significant strengths. However, limitations regarding assumed material properties, computational cost, and simplified soil-structure interaction prevent a top rating.
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File Information
Original Title:
Discontinuous approaches for nonlinear dynamic analyses of an ancient masonry tower
File Name:
Ferrante%20et%20al%20R2fin.pdf
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File Size:
9.40 MB
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July 14, 2025 at 05:24 PM
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