Numerical modeling of a majestic masonry structure: A comparison of advanced techniques

This investigation focuses on the Cathedral of Camerino, central Italy, which incurred structural damage during the seismic sequence of 2016/2017. The central goal of this study is to deepen our understanding of the progressive damage mechanisms that unfold during seismic events. To attain this objective, we employed two distinct modeling methodologies, one characterized by continuity and the other by discontinuity. These numerical models were subjected to nonlinear dynamic analyses, accounting for the influence of three significant earthquakes in proximity to the village. In the continuous model, the non-linear behavior of masonry was emulated using the concrete damage plasticity model (CDP), whereas the discontinuous approach employed non-smooth contact dynamics (NSCD) in conjunction with the discrete element (DE) method. The findings reveal that all methodologies successfully identify vulnerable regions within the structure. However, it is the discontinuous techniques that offer a more precise delineation of the emergence and progression of structural cracks.