On April 25, 2015, a M7.8 earthquake rattled central Nepal; ground motion recorded in Kantipath, Kathmandu, 76.86 km east of the epicenter suggested that the low-frequency component was dominant. We consider data from eight aftershocks following the Gorkha earthquake and analyze ground motion characteristics; we found that most of the ground motion records are dominated by low frequencies for e...

One of the parameters identified as influencing the structural response of buildings is the dynamic Modulus of Elasticity of masonry. The Longitudinal Vibration Test Method and the Ultrasonic Pulse Methods were developed for the dynamic testing of concrete specimens. These two dynamic procedures are to be tested on masonry prisms to provide a verification of the methods. The first aim of this p...

This paper presents an experimental program dealing with the shear strengthening with FRP systems of URM walls built with concrete and clay units. Ten concrete and five clay masonry panels, strengthened with FRP composites in the form of laminates and rods, and stainless steel, were loaded along the wall diagonal to observe their shear performance. The dimension of the concrete masonry panels w...

One of the parameters that has been identified as influencing the structural response of buildings is the dynamic Modulus of Elasticity of masonry units. The first aim of this paper is to experimentally investigate the use of high frequency sinusoidal loading to determine the dynamic Modulus of Elasticity of masonry units. The Longitudinal Vibration and the Ultrasonic Pulse methods were origina...

Basically, all masonry units are suitable for tests. Randomly sample 5 masonry units for determining the moisture content. Additionally, for tests with no preload, randomly sample a further 15 masonry units for the construction of the specimens and, for tests with preload, randomly sample a further 15 masonry units per preload value for the construction of the specimens. A minimum of 3 preload ...

Water content affects mortar and masonry properties however, it is often determined by the mason assessing mortar workability. This can lead to lack of consistency and variable masonry performance. This paper investigates the compressive, flexural and bond strength and stiffness of brick masonry bound with natural hydraulic limes (NHL2, 3.5 and 5), hydrated lime (calcium limeCL90s) and cement-l...

Strengthening of un-reinforced masonry (URM) structures to improve its seismic performance is not only well recognized among the research community but also getting attention of practicing engineers around the globe. The estimation of lateral capacity and performance of masonry becomes complex because of heterogeneous nature of its constituent materials and other associated problems. Heterogene...

Geopolymer concrete is preferred over OPC due to its use of energy waste such as fly ash, making it more sustainable and energy-efficient. However, limited research has been done on seismic characterization in confined masonry, highlighting a gap earthquake-resistant structures. Our study compares the performance alkali-activated fly-ash-based geopolymer bare frame masonry wall panels with conv...