This study presents a numerical investigation of the seismic response of masonry piers built from modern clay masonry units bonded with polyurethane (PU) glue and with RC tie-columns at the sides. The research is based on experimental results obtained from two full-scale pier specimens, on the basis of which a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model in Abaqus and two-dimensional (2D) equivalent strut macro-models (ESM) with one or more multiple struts in OpenSees were developed and validated. The validation was performed under both monotonically increasing and cyclic horizontal loading with constant vertical force. The validated 3D micro-model was subsequently used as a reference model to assess the accuracy of the internal force distribution along the height of reinforced concrete (RC) tie-columns. The objective of the study is to evaluate whether equivalent strut macro-models are sufficiently accurate for the estimation of internal forces in RC tie-columns in practical applications. The analysis of shear forces, axial forces, and bending moments was carried out at peak strength and at the drop to 80 % strength. The results show that the single-strut model provides a satisfactory prediction of the global response, but fails to capture the distribution of internal forces along the height of RC tie-columns. In contrast, the multi-strut model more accurately reproduces local load-transfer mechanisms and provides improved predictions of internal force distributions, particularly for shear forces and bending moments. Nevertheless, it still does not fully capture the complex redistribution of axial forces. Overall, the multi-strut model is a good balance between accuracy and computational efficiency and is suitable for practical engineering applications.
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