Masonry is among the most widely used construction materials around world. Contemporary masonry buildings are primarily designed to comply with prescriptive building code regulations. In recent decades, performance-based design (PBD) has gained increasing attention and achieved significant success in critical structures or infrastructure systems. Instead of being first mover, research practice ...

This paper presents a new methodology for generating compression-only vaulted surfaces and networks. The method finds possible funicular solutions under gravitational loading within a defined envelope. Using projective geometry, duality theory and linear optimisation, it provides a graphical and intuitive method, adopting the same advantages of techniques like graphic statics, but offering a vi...

The purpose of this research program is to investigate the dynamic failure properties of an unreinforced masonry panel under controlled dynamic loading conditions. This rig design is based on the classic diamond loading pattern. It is designed to achieve a uniform stress over the central area of the panel. The aim of the measurements will be to measure the rate of damage evolution in an inital ...

Recycled concrete brick (RCB) is manufactured by recycled aggregate processed from discarded concrete blocks arising from the demolishing of existing buildings. This paper presents research on the seismic performance of RCB masonry walls to assess the applicability of RCB for use in rural low-rise constructions. The seismic performance of a masonry wall is closely related to the vertical load a...

Vehicular crashes into buildings seem to be an on-going problem with severe consequences. When the building is of masonry, damage at impact zone more possible intrusion vehicle building, depending on velocity impact. In all these cases, vibration propagated from wall edges and then adjoining walls in can result their damage. While has been studied, propagation impacted potential for have not tr...

Malawi is an earthquake-prone country that lies within the East African Rift. A large proportion of its population lives in non-engineered single-storey constructions made clay bricks and low-strength mortar. Walls are typically single-skin often lack adequate wall-to-wall connections, leaving them vulnerable to seismic actions. This work reports a comprehensive study on fragility unreinforced ...