Barbara Charalambidi

1. Introduction Static analysis and vulnerability assessment of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures is a topic of practical interest and the focus of many current research investigations. Although an unreinforced masonry element is brittle and linear elastic analysis is expected to be the only acceptable design methodology, some plasticity can still be expected due to the cooperation of various structural elements (walls in different orientations, slabs, and other rigid diaphragms).

1. Introduction Computational modelling of masonry monuments has been the focus of various investigations, due to the complexity of the structures, the uncertainty of materials and the constitutive models [1,2,3,4]. The usage of simplified models, and especially of equivalent frame models, is questionable, since the response usually does not capture the complex three-dimensional structure [5,6,7].