ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the seismic evaluation of an aggregate of unreinforced masonry buildings built in Lisbon, Portugal, in the beginning of the twentieth century. The characterization of the buildings was supported on the information gathered in the Municipal Archive of Lisbon which includes original drawings, modification drawings and reports from official inspections. During the construction period, the increasing population in Lisbon and the real estate speculation influenced the alteration of clay brick masonry buildings with the addition of new floors or the conversion of the pitched roofs for housing. The removal of the masonry piers from the facade wall reduces the shear strength capacity in the base of the building. E. Vicente adapted the method for the masonry buildings in Portugal and has applied it to different city centers: Coimbra, Seixal and Faro. The buildings are covered by pitched roofs composed by timber trusses placed perpendicular to the facade walls.
