ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the problem of assessing the seismic resistance of rubble masonry walls subject to normal lateral forces. An improvement of the common displacement-based procedure to evaluate masonry vulnerability under seismic loads is presented with respect to isolated panels. The chapter provides the recommendations for the selection of an appropriate level of degradation, especially for historical walls. Several methodologies for testing are available in engineering practice to study the local response of old masonry. Two commonly used procedures are in-plane and out-of-plane monotonic tests. Both destructive methodologies can be performed on-site or in the laboratory. Three main observations, which are considered as typical for rubble masonry, were analyzed through on site experiments. These being: a strong changing of stiffness associated to the motion of the pivot points, a secondary mode of damage which goes with a new fully cracked cross-section, and a comparison between the overturning and envelope curves.
