La construcción en tierra está presente en todo el mundo. Muchas de estas construcciones se encuentran en regiones sísmicas y tienen una vulnerabilidad alta. Con el fin de reducir esta vulnerabilidad se propone una estrategia integrada que consiste en un refuerzo externo con elementos de madera en ambas direcciones y en ambos lados de los muros (en tapia pisada) simultáneamente con la implementación de un diafragma rígido por medio de una viga de coronación en concreto. Se propone que la viga se construya con una transición entre la tierra y el concreto para mejorar la compatibilidad. Los resultados de ensayos en mesa vibratoria en un modelo a escala 1:6 y su contraparte no reforzada muestran una mejora significativa en el comportamiento global de la construcción (reducción en los desplazamientos hasta del 80% en los modelos reforzados), logrando el objetivo de prevenir el colapso, manteniendo la integridad de la estructura.

Recent developments in higher education have transformed teaching–learning processes across disciplines, including structural mechanics in civil engineering programs. However, reports on innovative teaching practices in structural engineering are scattered, hindering their application in other contexts. This study consolidates and analyzes global research trends in structural mechanics education (from 2014 to 2023), complemented by insights obtained from surveys applied to students, instructors, and senior structural engineers in Colombia. The sample literature comprises 150 Scopus-indexed English articles analyzed with Bibliometrix. Eight guiding questions serve to characterize the literature, identify predominant pedagogical strategies, and outline future research directions. Results reveal limited collaboration networks, inconsistent keyword usage, and a strong concentration of U.S.-based authors and institutions. Most papers appear in engineering education journals, and the recurrent topics (active learning strategies, digital and virtual resources, and assessment methods) confirm the prevalence of experiential, student-centered approaches. Based on the findings, eight emerging areas should guide future research: sustainability, educational research, non-disciplinary competencies, digital resources, artificial intelligence, innovation, disciplinary competencies, and digital competencies. Also, it is recommended that engineering faculties focus efforts on clarifying competency frameworks, strengthening pedagogical and faculty development, investing in educational technologies and laboratory infrastructure, fostering collaborative networks, and enhancing the visibility of structural mechanics education research.

This study investigates the scale effects on the experimental shear strength of earthen walls, a critical parameter influencing the seismic performance of adobe and rammed-earth (RE) buildings. Recognized for their historical significance and sustainable construction practices, earthen structures require a comprehensive understanding of their mechanical behavior under shear loads to ensure effective design and preservation. This research compiles data from over 120 in-plane shear wall tests (adobe and RE), nearly 20 direct shear tests from the scientific and technical literature, and new cyclic direct shear tests performed on large cubic specimens (300 mm side length) made from the same material as a previously tested two-story RE wall. Based on the findings, this study recommends a minimum specimen cross-sectional area of 0.5 m² for reliable shear strength testing of earthen walls in structural laboratories. This recommendation aims to prevent the unconservative overestimation of shear strength commonly observed in smaller specimens, including direct shear tests. Furthermore, the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion outlined in the AIS-610 Colombian standard is validated as a conservative lower bound for all compiled shear strength data. Cyclic direct shear tests on nine 300 mm cubic specimens produced a Mohr–Coulomb envelope with an apparent cohesion of 0.0715 MPa and a slope of 0.66, whereas the full-scale two-story wall (5.95 × 6.20 × 0.65 m) constructed with the same material exhibited a much lower cohesion of 0.0139 MPa and a slope of 0.26. The analysis reveals significant scale effects, as small-scale specimens consistently overestimate shear strength due to their inability to capture macro-structural behaviors such as compaction layer interactions, construction joint weaknesses, and stress redistributions. Based on the analysis of the compiled data, the novelty of this study lies in defining a strength reduction factor for direct shear tests (3.4–3.8 for rammed earth, ~3.0 for adobe) to align with full-scale wall behavior, as well as establishing a minimum specimen size (≥0.5 m²) for reliable in-plane shear testing of earthen walls, ensuring accurate structural assessments of shear strength. This study provides a first approach to the shear behavior of unstabilized earth. To expand its application, future research should explore how the scale of specimens with different stabilizers affects their shear strength.

Dans le cadre de l'analyse et de la gestion intégrée des risques sismiques, deux approches sont proposées. La première, une méthode pseudo - adaptative de réponse modale (PSA), qui estime la réponse sismique des bâtiments à portiques, avec une précision acceptable et un temps de calcul et d'analyse réduit. En effet, dans le cadre de l'analyse de pushover multimodale (MPA), la courbe de capacité se construit sur la base d'une approche énergétique et le changement des propriétés modales après plastification est évalué à partir des vecteurs de déplacement pendant l'analyse de pushover. L'estimation des réponses en termes de déplacements absolus et relatifs, forces de cisaillement et rotations est satisfaisante comparativement aux résultats d'analyses non linéaires complètes. La seconde approche porte sur l'évaluation post-sismique des dommages structuraux à partir de dommages locaux observés. Elle est fondée sur une relation postulée entre le dommage et la probabilité résiduelle de ruine, à deux niveaux : l'étage et le bâtiment complet. Quatre portiques sont analysés et les résultats sont comparés à une approche mécanique qui estime l'endommagement du système à partir de la perte de raideur de la courbe de capacité. Les résultats obtenus montrent de bonnes estimations du niveau de dommage global. Ainsi, cette approche pourrait bien faire partie d'un outil d'aide à la décision dans le cadre des programmes d'évaluation urbaine des dommages qui requièrent des estimations simultanément rapides et précises