Multilevel approach for brick masonry walls – Part III: A strategy for free vibration analysis

The multilevel modeling and solution approach for plane brick masonry walls proposed in [1] and [2] is extended here to the free vibration analysis. The proposed strategy is based on a convenient iterative-residual scheme particularly appropriate for the cited multilevel strategy. Two different modeling levels of the masonry mechanics are used in synergy: the reference level (finer), which reflects the brick and mortar joint texture, and its finite element (FE) approximation (coarser) used as an iteration improver.The numerical tests show the global efficiency and computational convenience of this strategy in providing the principal vibration modes and frequencies. A comparison with the results obtained from FE models based on equivalent continua also allows a better understanding of the real limits of the different homogenization techniques discussed in [2].