Earthquakes, among the most destructive natural hazards, result in substantial economic and demographic losses. An effective strategy to mitigate future structural damage involves investigating past collapses. Numerical modeling proves instrumental in analyzing and identifying deficiencies in collapsed structures. This study numerically evaluates a steel silo damaged during the 2011 Van earthquake. Employing non-linear time history and pushover analyses, the research assesses the silo's performance. Findings highlight inadequate welding dimensions and incomplete fusion with the base metal in fillet welds between columns and the silo tank as primary causes of collapse. Numerical simulations with varied column removal scenarios underscore the importance of robust silo tank-column connections in reducing earthquake-induced damage.

Reliable simulation of bond behavior between stone façade panels and concrete substrates is crucial for safe façade design, particularly with mechanical anchorage. Conventional finite element models relying on tie constraints overestimate interface strength, especially in the absence of surface preparation or bonding agents. This study develops and validates a physically motivated, element deletion–based finite element methodology to accurately simulate crack initiation, propagation, and failure at the mortar–stone interface. The three-dimensional numerical models, implemented in ABAQUS and benchmarked against laboratory splitting shear tests, represent the composite system comprising a concrete substrate, sand-cement adhesive mortar, and a Travertine stone façade. Both unanchored and Z-type mechanically anchored configurations were examined. Results demonstrate the approach yields accurate predictions of failure loads and damage evolution: for unanchored specimens, the maximum numerical–experimental deviation was below 2%, while Z-type clip anchorage significantly enhanced the load-bearing capacity and altered the fracture mechanism. Compared to conventional tie or interface-layer models, the element deletion strategy provides a computationally efficient and transparent tool for capturing the failure behavior of stone–mortar–concrete composites. The findings offer insights for optimizing façade anchorage design and provide a validated numerical framework for future research.