Analytical/numerical tools for the evaluation of performance decay of non-structural elements

The seismic performance assessment of existing buildings and constructions is often required to be conceived and tailored on the structure characteristics and behavior, which are exhibited in the static and dynamic environments. Quasi-brittle existing constructions or structural and non-structural components present in existing structures, which exhibit an heterogeneous resistance, are usually requiring and pushing towards the formulation and adoption of suitable mechanical models able to capture the non-linear nature of their behaviour. Current modelling issues for masonry constructions and components are usually relying on mechanical models of basic materials, where the tensile resistance is almost completely, or completely, neglected. In the paper the problem of interactions and coupling of elements exhibiting a non-linear behaviour and non-heterogeneous resistance with linear elastic structural components is investigated also with reference to the evaluation of the overall lateral resistance of mixed elements, with the task of deepening the incidence of this feature on the structural resistance to horizontal loads and on the decay of the seismic performance of the structure.