This book reports on a comprehensive experimental characterization of the material, mechanical and dynamic properties of masonry infill walls. It analyses the critical parameters affecting their out-of-plane seismic behavior, including the effects of the panel support conditions, gravity load, and previous damage. Further, it offers an extensive review of infill masonry strengthening strategies and reports on the experimental assessment of various textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) strengthening solutions. It also presents the development, implementation and calibration of a numerical model to simulate the infill panels’ seismic behavior, with the corresponding findings of various tests to assess the seismic vulnerability of an infilled RC structure. All in all, this outstanding PhD thesis offers a comprehensive review of masonry infill walls, and a timely overview of numerical and experimental methods for testing and preventing the out-of-plane seismic collapse of RC buildings.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Reducing the Seismic Vulnerability of Existing Buildings: Assessment and Retrofit that was published in Buildings

Advanced Design Examples of Seismic Retrofit of Structures provides insights on the problems associated with the seismic retrofitting of existing structures. The authors present various international case studies of seismic retrofitting projects and the different possible strategies on how to handle complex problems encountered. Users will find tactics on a variety of problems that are commonly faced, including problems faced by engineers and authorities who have little or no experience in the practice of seismic retrofitting. - Provides several examples of retrofitting projects that cover different structural systems, from non-engineered houses, to frame buildings - Presents various retrofitting methods through examples - Provides detailed, step-by-step design procedures for each example - Includes real retrofit projects with photos of the details of various retrofitting techniques - Contains several modeling details and hints making use of various software in this area

Earthquakes represent a major risk to buildings, bridges and other civil infrastructure systems, causing catastrophic loss to modern society. Handbook of seismic risk analysis and management of civil infrastructure systems reviews the state of the art in the seismic risk analysis and management of civil infrastructure systems.Part one reviews research in the quantification of uncertainties in ground motion and seismic hazard assessment. Part twi discusses methodologies in seismic risk analysis and management, whilst parts three and four cover the application of seismic risk assessment to buildings, bridges, pipelines and other civil infrastructure systems. Part five also discusses methods for quantifying dependency between different infrastructure systems. The final part of the book considers ways of assessing financial and other losses from earthquake damage as well as setting insurance rates.Handbook of seismic risk analysis and management of civil infrastructure systems is an invaluable guide for professionals requiring understanding of the impact of earthquakes on buildings and lifelines, and the seismic risk assessment and management of buildings, bridges and transportation. It also provides a comprehensive overview of seismic risk analysis for researchers and engineers within these fields. - This important handbook reviews the wealth of recent research in the area of seismic hazard analysis in modern earthquake design code provisions and practices - Examines research into the analysis of ground motion and seismic hazard assessment, seismic risk hazard methodologies - Addresses the assessment of seismic risks to buildings, bridges, water supply systems and other aspects of civil infrastructure

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Civil Engineering Structures at Multiple Scales: From Single Buildings to Large-Scale Assessment provides an integrated, multiscale platform for fundamental and applied studies on the seismic vulnerability assessment of civil engineering structures, including buildings with different materials and building typologies. The book shows how various outputs obtained from different scales and layers of assessment (from building scale to the urban area) can be used to outline and implement effective risk mitigation, response and recovery strategies. In addition, it highlights how significant advances in earthquake engineering research have been achieved with the rise of new technologies and techniques. The wide variety of construction and structural systems associated with the complex behavior of their materials significantly limits the application of current codes and building standards to the existing building stock, hence this book is a welcomed guide on new construction standards and practices. - Provides the theoretical backgrounds on the most advanced seismic vulnerability assessment approaches at different scales and for most common building typologies - Covers the most common building typologies and the materials they are made from, such as concrete, masonry, steel, timber and raw earth - Presents practical guidelines on how the outputs coming from such approaches can be used to outline effective risk mitigation and emergency planning strategies

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Traditional and Innovative Approaches in Seismic Design" that was published in Buildings

The Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) handbook can be used by trained personnel to identify, inventory, and screen buildings that are potentially seismically vulnerable. The RVS procedure comprises a method and several forms that help users to quickly identify, inventory, and score buildings according to their risk of collapse if hit by major earthquakes. The RVS handbook describes how to identify the structural type and key weakness characteristics, how to complete the screening forms, and how to manage a successful RVS program.