MAST (MAsonry Shake-Table database) - A comprehensive database and collaborative resource for advancing seismic assessment of unreinforced masonry buildings
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Researchers
Abstract
Every year, building collapses due to earthquakes cause thousands of deaths. Due to the lack of design to resist seismic forces, unreinforced masonry buildings are very prone to collapse. By developing an open-access web-based platform that will contain the first-ever consolidated database for shake-table tests on complete unreinforced masonry buildings, this project aims to contribute to addressing this critical issue. The platform will make comprehensive data from over seventy experimental campaigns conducted over the last 30 years easily accessible to the earthquake engineering community, including researchers and practitioners. As a result, by facilitating data exchange and collaboration, this platform will play a key role in advancing our understanding of the seismic behavior of unreinforced masonry structures. The platform may be used by researchers and practitioners as a valuable reference to benchmark their models, enhance predictive capabilities, and encourage improved design and retrofitting practices. Overall, the development of this platform has enormous potential to reduce seismic risk and increase the resilience of unreinforced masonry buildings, hence increasing public safety in earthquake-prone areas.