Seismic assessment of existing unreinforced masonry buildings represents a current challenge in structural
engineering. Many historical masonry buildings in earthquake regions were not designed to withstand seismic
loading; thus, these structures often do not meet the basic safety requirements recommended by current seismic
codes and need to be strengthened considering the results from realistic structural analysis. This paper presents
an efficient modelling strategy for representing the nonlinear response of unreinforced masonry components
under in-plane cyclic loading, which can be used for practical and accurate seismic assessment ofmasonry buildings.
According to the proposed strategy, generic masonry perforated walls are modelled using an equivalent
frame approach, where each masonry component is described utilising multi-spring nonlinear elements connected
by rigid links. When modelling piers and spandrels, nonlinear springs are placed at the two ends of the
masonry element for describing the flexural behaviour and in the middle for representing the response in shear.
Specific hysteretic rules allowing for degradation of stiffness and strength are then used for modelling the member
response under cyclic loading. The accuracy and the significant potential of the proposed modelling
approach are shown in several numerical examples, including comparisons against experimental results and
the nonlinear dynamic analysis of a building structure.
