CATTARI S.

Nonlinear static procedures are considered, at research level, the reference method for the seismic assessment of existing masonry buildings. However, at engineering practice level, the use of linear static procedures would be desirable, due to repeatability of results. The updated version of the Italian building code was released in 2018 and...

The nonlinear static procedure (NSP) is commonly adopted by practitioners for the seismic assessment of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, although a systematic validation of the procedure when applied to this type of buildings still lacks in the literature. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the validation and the improvement of the...

Linear procedures (lateral static force method or modal response spectrum analysis) are the standard approach for the seismic design of new structures. On the contrary, nonlinear procedures, in particular incremental pushover analysis, should be used for the seismic assessment of existing buildings, because it is difficult to estimate the...

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In the framework of the evaluation of the consequences of an earthquake, the paper provides a procedure for the economic loss assessment in unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, proposing an analytical approach based on a cost function directly dependent on the damage level associated to different structural elements and identified by specific...

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In the framework of seismic risk analyses at large scale, among the available methods for the vulnerability assessment the empirical and expert elicitation based ones still represent one of most widely used options. In fact, despite some drawbacks, they benefit of a direct correlation to the actual seismic behaviour of buildings and they are...

Seismic assessment of existing buildings is usually treated by international codes and guidelines through a semi-probabilistic approach based on the use of the so-called confidence factor (CF). Many authors revealed the inadequacy of such an approach, proposing alternative procedures based on: the updated calibration of the CF values together...

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When dealing with the seismic assessment of historical buildings, a higher diversity in uncertainties related to construction details, geometry, and material properties is expected. Moreover, for the conservation of the monument a very low invasiveness degree is required during the investigation process. The procedures available in standards,...

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This study investigated seismic assessments of the Podestà Palace in Mantua (Italy). This masonry palace has a complex geometrical configuration that resulted from the addition of various units stratified over centuries. This feature makes seismic assessment challenging from a modelling perspective due to the interaction among units. Here, an...

The paper describes the derivation of fragility curves useful for the seismic risk analyses of existing unreinforced masonry buildings inserted in aggregate. The L-shaped examined aggregate consists of three adjacent structural units that may mutually interact during seismic events. The seismic assessment is focused on the corner unit. The...

Post-earthquake damage surveys systematically highlight the seismic vulnerability of monumental structures, calling for simple assessment procedures to address the design of effective retrofitting interventions. The structural complexity characterizing monumental structures, however, makes a reliable prediction of their seismic response a...

Equivalent frame (EF) methods are increasingly used to evaluate the global seismic response of historic masonry buildings. However, applying these methods to arched structures is challenging due to the lack of a standard EF strategy for masonry arches. This paper proposes a novel EF modelling solution for masonry arches in historic buildings...

This paper addresses the safety of connections within urban areas, where free-standing elements that menacingly overlook them are susceptible to potential overturning mechanisms. Such a condition recurs in post-earthquake scenarios and in historical centers abandoned after disasters in seismic-prone areas, which aimed to be restored to create...

The damage assessment of monumental buildings after several seismic events in different countries has systematically highlighted the vulnerability of cultural heritage, in particular churches. In order to reduce their vulnerability with compatible and light interventions, it is necessary to have accurate procedures aimed at guaranteeing an...

A resilient urban system should be able to recover from a disaster as quickly and effectively as possible. The optimal time to begin planning and implementing recovery investments to improve the urban system's recoverability is before the disaster. Considering that usually there are insufficient resources to invest in all urban facilities and...