Experimental tests on the seismic behaviour of unreinforced load-bearing masonry structures

The paper describes recent experimental shaking table tests carried out on load-bearing unreinforced masonry shear walls in earthquake conditions, within the European research project SERIES. The first phase of the experimental activity investigates the response of four simple unreinforced masonry walls, two of them including rubber acoustic isolation devices. The second phase deals with the testing of specimens with T- and Lshaped walls (shear wall with flanges) coupled at their top by a concrete lintel and a prefabricated concrete slab. The paper summarizes interesting results obtained on the general behaviour of the walls, on the estimation of equivalent elastic and shear moduli, on the influence of the soundproofing devices and on the global frame behaviour of the system.