AI728 - MASONRY DESIGN

courses

ID:

AI728

Duration (hours):

60

CFU:

SSD:

TECNICA DELLE COSTRUZIONI

Located in:

PESCARA

Url:

Course Details:

BUILDING ENGINEERING/SOSTENIBILITA' E ENERGIA Year: 2

Year:

2025

Course Catalogue:

https://unich.coursecatalogue.cineca.it/af/2025?co...

Date/time interval

Secondo Semestre (18/02/2026 - 31/05/2026)

Course Objectives

The purpose of this Masonry Construction Course is aimed primarily at the consolidation of existing and/or historical building structures, is to provide the basis of structural design for static consolidation, seismic improvement and/or geotechnical consolidation of existing structures, with a particular reference to masonry structures.
The masonry structures are, in our country, the most widespread and constitutive structural typology of the building fabric of most of the towns and historical centers of the cities.
The main objective of the course is to put the student in a position to proceed with the Design and Control, in compliance with actual Code, the basic elements for securing a masonry building. In this case, considering the great heritage of Masonry Structures in Italy (particularly in earthquake prone zones), a coherent and correct analysis of building practice has a fundamental role.

Course Prerequisites

The knowledge of Structural Engineering, Geotechnics and Dynamics of Structures are considered fundamental as those aspects are presented in previous Courses of the same Master Degree.

Teaching Methods

The teaching activity includes a theoretical part (with lectures and exercises performed by the teacher in the classroom) and one of an applicative nature (with the assignment of simple design themes that will be developed by the student with the supervision of the teacher, according to weekly review cycles).
The Teacher will be at disposal for weekly consulting hours and design revisions; an dedicated scheduling will be defined for special events.

In particular, according to Course Didactic Secretariat, the weekly consulting hours and design revisions are:
first semester every wednesday 15:00-17:00 Meeting Room of Engineering and Geology Department
second semester every wednesday 16:00-18:00 Meeting Room of Engineering and Geology Department

Assessment Methods

The final test consists of a general discussion of the Individual Works (both Methodological Report and a Numerical Code) and of an oral examination on the topics developed during the Course.
The evaluation will also take into account the results of any interim assessments, with particular attention to the design proposals and revision evolutions on the Case Study that each Student may independently presents.

Texts

This can be considered as the reference book for the Course:
Nicola AUGENTI, Fulvio PARISI
TEORIA E TECNICA DELLE STRUTTURE IN MURATURA: ANALISI E PROGETTAZIONE, Prima Edizione, EAN 9788820389475, Hoepli Editore 2019
while the reference book for advanced test on masonry will be considered:
Stefano BUFARINI, Vincenzo D'ARIA, Domenico SQUILLACIOTI
MECCANICA DELLE MURATURE. DALLA DEFINIZIONE DELLA QUALITÀ MURARIA ALLE INDAGINI SPERIMENTALI MEDIANTE LA TECNICA DEI MARTINETTI PIATTI, EAN 9788863103984, EPC Editore 2012
Other Structural Masonry texts available for this Course are:
Theodosios P. TASSIOS
Nina AVRAMIDOU (presentazione ed integrazione all'edizione italiana)
MECCANICA DELLE MURATURE, EAN 9788820716387, Liguori Editore 1988
Roberto CAPOZUCCATEORIA E TECNICA DELLE STRUTTURE IN MURATURA, EAN 9788837119027, Pitagora Editrice Bologna 2014
while texts with a more defined Design Approach and a particular Code Reference approach available for this Course are, that will be use in order to complete Course Frontal Lessons:
Franco IACOBELLIPROGETTO E VERIFICA DELLE COSTRUZIONI IN MURATURA IN ZONA SISMICA CON PARTICOLARI RIFERIMENTI ALLE NORME TECNICHE PER LE COSTRUZIONI D.M. 17 GENNAIO 2018, EAN 9788863108521, VIII Edizione, EPC Editore 2018
Pietro LENZA, Aurelio GHERSI, Bruno CALDERONI
EDIFICI IN MURATURA ALLA LUCE DELLA NUOVA NORMATIVA SISMICA, con CD-ROM (Italiano), EAN 9788857900971, Dario Flaccovio Editore 2011
In order to improve a complete approach to structural design of a masonry structure an important international text is considered for this topic:
Dr. Ahmad HAMIDMASONRY STRUCTURES: BEHAVIOR AND DESIGN, 4th Edition, Masonry Society, masonrysociety.org/product/masonry-structures-behavior-and-design-4th-editions/
According to Editor assumptions, this text could be considered as: The most widely used masonry textbook, Masonry Structures, Behavior and Design, by Dr. Ahmad Hamid has been revised to discuss new research findings and to reflect the design provisions in the TMS 402/602-16.
For a complete approach to the Course arguments, the Italian Code Provisions are mandatory.
Two different Codes can be considered: the first is the actual 2018 Code, the second is the previous 2008 Code.
For the first Code:
Ministero delle INFRASTRUTTURE e dei TRASPORTI
AGGIORNAMENTO DELLE «NORME TECNICHE PER LE COSTRUZIONI», D.M. INFRASTRUTTURE 17 GENNAIO 2018, Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 42 del 20 febbraio 2018 - Supplemento Ordinario n. 8
Ministero delle INFRASTRUTTURE e dei TRASPORTI
ISTRUZIONI PER L’APPLICAZIONE DELLO “AGGIORNAMENTO DELLE «NORME TECNICHE PER LE COSTRUZIONI»” DI CUI AL DECRETO MINISTERIALE 17 GENNAIO 2018, CIRCOLARE 21 GENNAIO 2019 N. 7 REG. ATTI INT. CONSUP, Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 35 del 11 febbraio 2019 - Supplemento Ordinario n. 5
AA.VV.NUOVE NORME TECNICHE PER LE COSTRUZIONI, D.M. INFRASTRUTTURE 17 GENNAIO 2018, CIRCOLARE 21 GENNAIO 2019, N. 7/C.S.LL.PP., EAN: 9788849636932, Dei Tipografia del Genio Civile, 2019
For the second One:
Ministero INFRASTRUTTURE, Ministero INTERNO, Dipartimento di PROTEZIONE CIVILE
NUOVE NORME TECNICHE PER LE COSTRUZIONI, D.M. INFRASTRUTTURE 14 GENNAIO 2008, Dei Tipografia del Genio Civile, 2008
Ministero delle INFRASTRUTTURE e dei TRASPORTI
NUOVA CIRCOLARE DELLE NORME TECNICHE PER LE COSTRUZIONI, CIRCOLARE 2 FEBBRAIO 2009 N. 617, Dei Tipografia del Genio Civile, 2009
Both Codes are at disposal in many Internet Sites, in particular some text can be bought in http://www.build.it.
For the sake of simplicity, these Code Texts are available on UdA Internet Page of the Course Titular.
Finally, these general Structural Engineering texts can be considered too:
Antonio MIGLIACCIL'ARCHITETTURA DELL'EQUILIBRIO E DELLA DEFORMAZIONE, Seconda Edizione, Volume I & II, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana 2006
Mario SALVATORIPERCHÉ GLI EDIFICI STANNO IN PIEDI, Bompiani 2000

The main goal of the Course, devoted to Engineering Students of the 2nd year of Master Degree in Construction Engineering, is that to permit to be able to design and model traditional structures: in particular masonry structures. This goal will be reached by means of frontal lections, both theoretical and practical ones, and of an optional complete design of an in-situ test campaign on existing masonry structures.
Particularly an engineering approach to seismic effects on structures will be carried out considering earthquake input on structures, site effect of earthquake motion and design approach on masonry structures; This argument will be the topic of a specific Course in the 1st year of Master Degree in Construction Engineering.

Course Language

The Course will be done in Italian language. Exercises can be assigned in order to be developed in English while didactic materials and Code Provisions can be offered in such language.

More information

During the Course period, alongside the lectures and on a topic chosen by the Student, a design analysis will be developed (both in terms of an experimental testing campaign and in terms of design intervention hypotheses) on an existing masonry building.
In particular, the preparation of a Methodological Report and a Numerical Code —developed in a computational environment of the student’ choice is expected, each addressing a specific technical issue.
The Methodological Report must follow the form and structure of the Methodological Reports typically prepared for Public Design Trials; in this regard, it will also be important to refer to the current price lists for interventions on masonry buildings, in order to better assess the expected financial burden of such an approach.
The buildings must be selected by each Student, since the documentation acquisition phase is also considered a relevant stage of the Design Process.
Ideally, they should be located within the student’s own area of activity, so as to place the Student in the position of envisioning the professional practice that will concern them upon completion of their studies.
To this end, it is recommended that each Student refer to the Regional Regulations and the technical forms applicable in the location where the analyzed building is situated.