Data Collection and Statistical Analysis for the Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Masonry

Masonry is well known for being one of the most used construction materials throughout the world, characterized by a great variability in terms of constituent materials and construction techniques. One of the main challenges, when dealing with the seismic vulnerability assessment of existing masonry constructions, is the determination of its mechanical properties, especially for historical and monumental buildings, in which the possibility of performing experimental tests is limited. After the 2012 Emilia earthquake, the Emilia Romagna Region (Italy) funded retrofit interventions on many public masonry buildings, on which experimental campaigns were often performed to reach a specific knowledge level, in the framework of seismic vulnerability assessment procedures. Starting from these investigations, the main objective of this research is the definition of confidence intervals for the mechanical properties of the masonry typologies typical of the Emilia Romagna Region (Italy). After the collection of the experimental data and their organization within a database, statistical analyses are conducted to define the confidence intervals for the mean values of the compressive strength, shear strength and elastic modulus. The considered masonry typologies are solid clay brick masonry with lime-based mortar and hollow brick masonry with cementitious mortar, according to the definitions reported in the Italian Building Code. Comparisons between the obtained confidence intervals and the ones provided by the Italian Building Code are presented. The results of this research can be useful for technicians and structural engineers involved in the safety assessment of masonry buildings in the investigated area, providing indications about the mechanical performances to be expected.