THE STATE-OF-THE-ART IN INFILLED FRAMES NUMERICAL MODELS

In this paper, the State-of-the-Art of the numerical models for the analysis of brickwork infilled plane frames subjected to lateral actions is reviewed. A number of distinct approaches in the field of the analysis of infilled frames since the mid-1950s, have yielded several analytical models. It has been stressed, in these analytical works, how difficult and generally unreliable the numerical simulation of infilled frame is, due to the very large number of parameters to be taken into account and the magnitude of the uncertainties associated with most of them. For a better understanding of the approach and capabilities of each model, an attempt has been made to classify them into macro- and micro- models based on their complexity, the detail by which they model an infill wall, and the information they provide to the analyst about the behavior of a structure.