Dynamics of a gravity stonewall

Treated is the dynamics of a gravity stonewall. The wall is excited by a transient damped periodic oscillation simulating an earthquake. The model adopts a stick-slip friction constitutive law. Sensitivity of energy dissipation to parameters such as number of blocks, friction coefficient, sticktion and slipping stiffness and excitation amplitude and frequency is determined. A 2-D model of the monolithic wall is also analyzed to compare displacement and shear stress of the two constructions.