Abstract:
This paper discusses the vulnerability and seismic risk of historical unreinforced masonry URM buildings in Albania to earthquake-induced loads. Professionals have been using many methods to estimate the global and local structural capacity and performance of existing buildings. Non-linear methods are widely recognized and successfully applied even though they are relatively new and time-consuming. For a more practical and rapid evaluation of the need for structural consolidation of a large number of damaged buildings after strong earthquakes, two simplified methods can be used for the preliminary seismic evaluation of the structural capacity of buildings. In this research, the procedures used are described and the results of the application of these simplified methods in 11 minor existing residential buildings are shared. The first method is the FEMA P-154 method of evaluation of the probability of partial/total collapse. The second method is the Simplified Methodology by Dìaz Fuentes (2016), combined with the theoretical Principle of Virtual Works for the overturning of masonry panels. Both methods, it has been evaluated only the out-of-plane behaviour of masonry panels, as a mode of failure, since in-plane behaviour is strongly influenced by the level of compressive stresses. The comparison of results from the two methods shows that rapid evaluation methods are reliable for the preliminary selection of buildings, which might suffer partial/total collapse.
