Assessment of the seismic performance of structures is still a challenge. Historic masonry structures exhibit peculiar properties (low tensile strength and lack of box behavior) that make the task of the analyst even more difficult. It seems that traditional design and assessment methods, similar to the ones currently used for reinforced concrete structures, are not applicable. This article provides a review of the seismic analysis of masonry structures without box behavior. Different methods of structural analysis are discussed and a comparison is made between pushover methods and non-linear dynamic analysis with time integration. Three cases studies (San Torcato church, Qutb Minar and “Gaioleiro” buildings) were used and the results show that traditional, adaptive or modal pushover analyses are not totally in agreement with non-linear dynamic analysis or experimental observations.

Dry masonry mechanics received little attention from the research community when compared with resources invested in traditional (mortar joint) masonry. Nevertheless, a large number of historical stone constructions use dry masonry joints, while, in constructions originally built with weak lime mortar, mortar deterioration leads to a behavior similar to dry masonry. Therefore the objective of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of the behavior of dry masonry joints under cyclic loading, which is a key aspect for seismic actions. The work focuses on the characterization of Coulomb failure criterion and the load-displacement behavior of dry masonry joints under cyclic loading, including aspects as surface roughness, dilatancy, and inelastic behavior. A displacement controlled test setup using masonry couplets is used for this purpose. Besides providing a basis for understanding the behavior of masonry joints in shear, the experiments contribute also to the definition and parametrization of advanced...