Seismic vulnerability assessment of masonry facade walls

Abstract

This paper approaches the issue of seismic vulnerability assessment strategies for facade walls of traditional masonry buildings through the development of a methodology and its subsequent application to the old building stock of the historical city centre of Coimbra. Over 600 building facades were evaluated in accordance to the methodology developed. From the post-earthquake damage assessment of masonry buildings in Aquila, Italy, it was developed and calibrated an analytical function to estimate the mean damage grade for masonry facade walls. Once defined the vulnerability function for facade walls, the calculation of damage scenarios was carried out and was subsequently used in the development of an emergency planning tool and in the elaboration of an accessibility routing proposal for the case study – Old city centre of Coimbra.