Among the most frequently observed seismic damage mechanisms in these buildings, out-of-plane collapse of masonry walls is acknowledged as the main cause for building loss and injuries to people. However, there are many unresolved challenges to effectively assess the out-of-plane seismic response of masonry structures.

First, it is necessary to understand lesser-known phenomena in masonry dynamics, which largely influence the out-of-plane behaviour and capacity of heritage buildings. A recent blind exercise to predict the capacity of a benchmark masonry structure to resist dynamic excitation demonstrated that, although advanced simulation tools are available, leading international researchers are still unable to consistently provide a collapse estimate.

STAND4HERITAGE will address the aspects for successful development of approaches for seismic response prediction of masonry structures, integrating the necessary stages for out-of-plane assessment. It will generate novel: integrated stochastic-based models to consider the seismic signal in the dynamic response and capacity; datasets of the dynamic response evaluated after an extensive shake table testing program; numerical approaches for simulation of the out-of-plane seismic behaviour; an integrated analytical approach for out-of-plane seismic assessment of heritage buildings.

STAND4HERITAGE objectives are in line with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Cities and Communities. The project will be founded on the experience of the PI in the topic, and on the interdisciplinary expertise of his team in facing the challenges to provide optimal intervention solutions for heritage structures.

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