Seismic Assessment and retrofitting Design of Masonry Buildings

The opening day will introduce participants to the larger picture of seismic risk in masonry buildings. The session explores the essentiality of structural performance, seismic assessment and retrofitting in the Indian and global context, highlighting the balance between art, science, and engineering judgment in dealing with uncertainties. The day concludes with an engaging review of how masonry buildings have performed in past earthquakes. Through global and local case studies, participants will analyze recurring failure mechanisms, survival patterns, and the lessons they offer for future retrofitting. By the end of the day, participants will gain a strong appreciation of the challenges, opportunities, and critical need for seismic safety in masonry structures.

The second day builds conceptual foundations for seismic assessment. Participants will be introduced to earthquake forces, ground motion uncertainties, probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analyses, and the philosophy behind seismic design. The evolution of code provisions for both new and existing buildings will be discussed, with specific focus on IS 1893 and IS 15988. The practical session will transition to preparation for fieldwork, identify areas of interest, and compile necessary data. The day will close with an introduction to defining material properties, simplified methods from guidelines such as section C8 of New Zealand Building Code and postulating potential failure mechanisms in masonry. By the end of Day 2, participants will have acquired the theoretical and procedural knowledge necessary to approach the seismic assessment of existing buildings with confidence.

This session deepens the technical knowledge by focusing on the distinction between global and local failures in masonry buildings and their impact on life safety. Participants will study the “failure chain,” analyzing how localized weaknesses can escalate into building-wide collapse. Special attention will be given to face-loaded walls, including parapets, and their performance under one-way and two-way bending. Methods for assessing these walls using both elastic and inelastic approaches, supported by examples from practice, will be discussed. The session will also highlight how boundary conditions and anchorage details influence seismic resistance. The role of diaphragms will be introduced, comparing flexible and rigid systems and their influence on wall performance. By the end of the day, participants will be able to analyze wall-level behaviour, identify vulnerabilities, and link them to the overall seismic capacity of a building.

This session will introduce participants to in-plane behaviour of masonry walls, focusing on pier responses such as bed joint sliding, rocking, toe crushing, and diagonal tension failures. Detailed explanations of how these mechanisms determine the local resistance of walls under lateral loads will be discussed. The discussion will expand to spandrel elements and their critical role in transferring loads between piers. Participants will also study how in-plane demand can be estimated and how these demands accumulate to define the global seismic capacity of a building. Case studies will be presented to demonstrate the practical significance of pier and spandrel failure and its effect on structural integrity. Exercises will allow participants to model these behaviours in simple examples, drawing direct links between local element performance and building-wide seismic capacity. By the end of the day, participants will be able to critically evaluate how in-plane mechanisms influence both vulnerability and possible retrofitting solutions for masonry buildings.

This day will take learning beyond theoretical concepts through structured discussions of real-world masonry building case studies. Participants will analyze documented projects and past investigations, examining construction details, material behavior, and observed structural performance. Through guided discussions, they will learn to identify weaknesses and patterns of behavior that are not easily captured through calculations alone. Faculty will facilitate the process of linking case study observations with sound engineering judgment and analytical reasoning. As an assignment, participants will engage in group work to calculate the seismic capacity of masonry walls using both elastic and inelastic methods. Simplified building examples will be provided to reinforce assessment concepts covered earlier in the program. By combining case study analysis with applied calculations, Day 5 will serve as a pivotal point in the course—helping participants connect diagnostic reasoning with quantitative assessment. This experience will build confidence in bridging the gap between theory and practical application.

The day will begin with a focused session on diaphragms, which play a critical role in ensuring the seismic integrity of masonry structures. Participants will study the behaviour of flexible, rigid, and semi-rigid diaphragms, learning how these horizontal elements control the distribution of seismic forces across walls. Typical deficiencies found in existing diaphragms and practical strengthening measures will be discussed in detail. Building on this conceptual foundation, participants will then move into intensive group work where they calculate in-plane masonry strength, base shear demand, and global capacity for buildings introduced earlier. By integrating wall and diaphragm behaviour, participants will gain a holistic perspective on evaluating seismic capacity, setting the stage for designing effective retrofitting strategies.

On Day 7, attention will turn to retrofitting strategies. The philosophy of seismic retrofitting will be introduced, emphasizing the principle of balancing safety, economy, downtime, and reversibility. Participants will learn to prioritize interventions by distinguishing between issues that must be fixed versus those that can be tolerated. Practical retrofitting methods will then be discussed, including improving building integrity, enhancing wall-to-wall and wall-to-diaphragm connections, strengthening in-plane walls, and upgrading foundations. By the end of the day, participants will be equipped with frameworks and tools for designing retrofitting strategies that are both technically sound and economically feasible, preparing them for the final group exercise.

The final day will consolidate all learning through a capstone project. Participants will work on a selected masonry building, applying the full cycle of assessment and retrofitting design. They will evaluate existing conditions, calculate seismic capacities, identify weaknesses, and propose targeted strengthening measures. During the exercise, guidance will be provided, ensuring that solutions are technically sound and practically feasible. In the concluding session, groups will present their retrofitting proposals to peers and instructors, receiving constructive feedback and engaging in critical discussion. This peer-to-peer exchange will enhance learning and expose participants to multiple approaches to problem-solving. The program will conclude with reflective discussions that synthesize lessons learned, highlight challenges, and outline how the acquired skills can be applied in professional contexts. By the end of the program, participants will be confident in conducting seismic assessment and retrofitting design for masonry buildings, ready to apply their expertise to real-world projects.