An innovative strengthening technique for the seismic retrofitting of masonry buildings is the fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM). The system presented in this work is EQ-GRID, which consists of a multi-axial hybrid grid made of alkali-resistant glass and polypropylene fibres and a natural hydraulic lime mortar (NHL) as matrix. The results of the performed experimental campaign and the numerical modelling with the Equivalent frame method are presented and discussed in this work.

Brick and Block Masonry - Trends, Innovations and Challenges contains the lectures and regular papers presented at the 16th International Brick and Block Masonry Conference (Padova, Italy, 26-30 June 2016). In an ever-changing world, in which innovations are rapidly implemented but soon surpassed, the challenge for masonry, the oldest and most traditional building material, is that it can address the increasingly pressing requirements of quality of living, safety, and sustainability. This abstracts volume and full paper USB device, focusing on challenges, innovations, trends and ideas related to masonry, in both research and building practice, will proof to be a valuable source of information for researchers and practitioners, masonry industries and building management authorities, construction professionals and educators.

This volume contains papers of the 9th European Workshop on the Seismic Behaviour of Irregular and Complex Structures (9EWICS) held in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2020. This workshop, organized at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, continued the successful three-annual series of workshops started back in 1996. Its organization had the sponsorship of Working Group 8 (Seismic Behaviour of Irregular and Complex Structures) of the European Association of Earthquake Engineering.This international event provided a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas and unveiled new insights on the possibilities and challenges of irregular and complex structures under seismic actions. The topics addressed include criteria for regularity, seismic design of irregular structures, seismic assessment of irregular and complex structures, retrofit of irregular and complex structures, and soil-structure interaction for irregular and complex structures. Beyond an excellent number of interesting papers on these topics, this volume includes the papers of the two invited lectures – one devoted to irregularities in RC buildings, including perspectives in current seismic design codes, difficulties in their application and further research needs, and another one dedicated to the challenging and very up to date topic in the area of seismic response of masonry building aggregates in historical centers. This volume includes 26 contributions from authors of 11 countries, giving a complete and international view of the problem.The holds particular interest for all the community involved in the challenging task of seismic design, assessment and/or retrofit of irregular and complex structures.

This Special Issue presents the latest advances in the field of Textile-Reinforced Cement Composites, including Textile-Reinforced Concrete (TRC), Textile-Reinforced Mortar (TRM), Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM), etc. These composite materials distinguish themselves from other fibre-reinforced concrete materials by their strain-hardening behaviour under tensile loading. This Special Issue is composed of 14 papers covering new insights in structural and material engineering. The papers include investigations on the level of the fibre reinforcement system as well as on the level of the composites, investigating their impact and fatigue behaviour, durability and fire behaviour. Both the strengthening of existing structures and the development of new structural systems such as lightweight sandwich systems are presented, and analysis and design methods are discussed. This Special Issue demonstrates the broadness and intensity of the ongoing advancements in the field of Textile-Reinforced Cement composites and the importance of several future research directions.

In the last few decades, a considerable amount of experimental and analytical research on the seismic behaviour of masonry walls and buildings has been carried out. The investigations resulted in the development of methods for seismic analysis and design, as well as new technologies and construction systems. After many centuries of traditional use and decades of allowable stress design, clear concepts for limit state verification of masonry buildings under earthquake loading have recently been introduced in codes of practice.Although this book is not a review of the state-of-the-art of masonry structures in earthquake zones, an attempt has been made to balance the discussion on recent code requirements, state-of-the-art methods of earthquake-resistant design and the author's research work, in order to render the book useful for a broader application in design practice. An attempt has also been made to present, in a condensed but easy to understand way, all the information needed for earthquake-resistant design of masonry buildings constructed using traditional systems. The basic concepts of limit state verification are presented and equations for seismic resistance verification of masonry walls of all types of construction, (unreinforced, confined and reinforced) as well as masonry-infilled reinforced concrete frames, are addressed. A method for seismic resistance verification, compatible with recent code requirements, is also discussed. In all cases, experimental results are used to explain the proposed methods and equations.An important part of this book is dedicated to the discussion of the problems of repair, retrofit and rehabilitation of existing masonry buildings, including historical structures in urban centres. Methods of strengthening masonry walls as well as improving the structural integrity of existing buildings are described in detail. Wherever possible, experimental evidence regarding the effectiveness of the proposed strengthening methods is given.

Emphasizes actual structural design, not analysis, of multistory buildings for seismic resistance. Strong emphasis is placed on specific detailing requirements for construction. Fundamental design principles are presented to create buildings that respond to a wide range of potential seismic forces, which are illustrated by numerous detailed examples. The discussion includes the design of reinforced concrete ductile frames, structural walls, dual systems, reinforced masonry structures, buildings with restricted ductility and foundation walls. In addition to the examples, full design calculations are given for three prototype structures.

Earthquakes affecting urban areas can lead to catastrophic situations and hazard mitigation requires preparatory measures at all levels. Structural assessment is the diagnosis of the seismic health of buildings. Assessment is the prelude to decisions about rehabilitation or even demolition. The scale of the problem in dense urban settings brings about a need for macro seismic appraisal procedures because large numbers of existing buildings do not conform to the increased requirements of new earthquake codes and specifications or have other deficiencies. It is the vulnerable buildings - liable to cause damage and loss of life - that need immediate attention and urgent appraisal in order to decide if structural rehabilitation and upgrading are feasible. Current economic, efficient and occupant-friendly rehabilitation techniques vary widely and include the application either of precast concrete panels or layers, strips and patches of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) in strategic locations. The papers in this book, many by renowned authorities in earthquake engineering, chart new and vital directions of research and application in the assessment and rehabilitation of buildings in seismic regions. While several papers discuss the probabilistic prediction and quantification of structural damage, others present approaches related with the in-situ and occupant friendly upgrading of buildings and propose both economical and practical techniques to address the problem.