A macro-element modelling approach of Infilled Frame Structures

•A macro-element approach for seismic assessment of Infilled Frame Structures.•The reliability is evaluated by a comparison with experimental results.•The model can be used for modelling large real structures in practical engineering.

In this paper a macro-modelling approach for the seismic assessment of Infilled Frame Structures (IFS) is presented. The interaction between frame and infill is simulated through an original approach in which the frame members are modelled by means of lumped plasticity beam–column elements while the infills are described by plane macro-elements. The reliability of the approach is evaluated by means of nonlinear analyses, performed on infilled masonry reinforced concrete structures, for which experimental results are available in literature. The proposed computational strategy is intended to provide a numerical tool suitable for the design and the vulnerability assessment of IFS.