ABSTRACT
A number of advanced measurement techniques are available for experimental mechanics, which are named as unconventional in the sense that do not make use of conventional displacement and strain transducers. They generally need careful setup preparation, good knowledge of fundamental operation principles and critical analysis of results. But, if so, they can provide a large number of data with relatively simple and cost-efficient implementation. A conscientious experimenter might question: (i) what useful information can be derived by unconventional techniques that would be unavailable otherwise? (ii) To what extent, or under what conditions, detected measurements are reliable? (iii) How can these measurements be used to validate or integrate those recorded by traditional devices? The paper discusses the use of Digital Image Correlation (DIC), passive 3D motion capture systems (3DVision), and acoustic emission (AE) monitoring, applied to laboratory and field investigations on masonry structures to establish the knowledge gained so far and identify some future research needs.
