A common decay scenario in old and new buildings was simulated: the effects on masonry structures of salt efflorescence or subefflorescence produced by the rise of saline solution. Eight different types of masonry wall each made up of a combination of different construction materials (brick, calcarenite and four types of mortar were combined as follows: pure lime mortar, mortar + air entraining...

An accurate evaluation of the non-linear behavior of masonry structural elements in existing buildings still represents a complex issue that rigorously requires non-linear finite element strategies difficult to apply to real large structures. Nevertheless, for the static and seismic assessment of existing structures, involving the contribution of masonry materials, engineers need reliable and e...

The Azores archipelago is a small and remote region with low population levels where the issues of sustainability and autonomy have a lways been important and present s ignif icant economic consequences. Currently, the construction industry uses many imported products; however, masonry products are almost exclusively provided by local industries. For its production, masonry uses a natural volca...

Masonry is one of the world’s most durable construction materials. Masonry structures can remain in service for hundreds or even thousands of years. Masonry structures often outlive their designers, their original design documents, and their original functions. When historic masonry structures are evaluated for preservation, adaptive use, or additions, there are numerous questions that may aris...

Static-cyclic shear load tests and tensile tests on retrofitted masonry walls were conducted at UAS Fribourg for an evaluation of the newly developed retrofitting system, the S&P ARMO-System. This retrofitting system consists of a composite of carbon mesh embedded in a specially adapted high quality spray mortar. It can be applied with established construction techniques using traditional const...

This article contains information related to a recent study "Performance-based interpretation of in-plane cyclic tests on RC frames with strong masonry infills" (Morandi et al., 2017 [1]). Motivated by the necessity to improve the knowledge of the in-plane seismic response of rigid strong masonry infills, a wide experimental campaign based on in-plane cyclic tests on full-scale RC infilled fram...

Mechanical behaviour of old masonry may differ from the theoretical one to a great extent, hence it needs to be properly evaluated for quantifying the safety and serviceability of real structures, in view of their rehabilitation and/or seismic reliability assessment. Among the factors affecting such behaviour, the presence of moisture, mainly from rising damp, plays a key role in the deteriorat...

In unreinforced masonry walls, failure due to out -of-plane bending causes the majority of the material damages and loss of human life. Therefore, the development of effective strengthening techniques needs to be addressed. Near-surface mounted (NSM) FRP rods are now emerging as a promising technique for increasing flexural and shear strength of structural members. The aim of this research prog...

The predictability of masonry arch bridges and their behaviour is widely considered doubtful due to the lack of knowledge about the conditions of a given masonry arch bridge. The assessment methods for masonry arch bridges are MEXE, ARCHIE, RING and Frame Analysis Method. The material properties of the masonry and fill material are extremely difficult to determine accurately. Consequently, it i...