Structural Assessment and Strengthening of Masonry Structures

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Structures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 1415

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Industrial Buildings, Universitatea Tehnica Gh. Asachi din IasI, 700050 Iași, Romania
Interests: building materials; composite materials; structural design; zero net energy buildings; smart and green buildings; modular and offsite construction; technology and management in construction

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Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Building Services, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, 700050 Iasi, Romania
Interests: zero-emission buildings; sustainable development in civil engineering; life cycle assessment; life cycle costing/whole life cycle costing; and social life cycle assessment methodologies; natural environment; built environment; sustainable cities; energy efficient buildings; hygrothermal design of building components; numerical modelling of hygrothermal behaviour; traditional building materials; composite materials
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Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Building Services, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iaşi, 43 Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iaşi, Romania
Interests: ANSYS; composite structures; composite material; finite element analysis; finite element modeling; stress analysis

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Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Industrial Buildings, Universitatea Tehnica Gh. Asachi din IasI, 700050 Iași, Romania
Interests: construction management; project management; structural health monitoring; masonry; strengthening and conservation; 3D printed concrete

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Masonry is one of the oldest crafts in the world. The art of building using blocks joined with adhesives or mortars represents a pillar in the development of human society; it was employed in ancient times, from the construction of the Egyptian pyramids to the Roman aqueducts and medieval cathedrals, and is still used today around the world. In recent years, masonry has adopted environmentally friendly materials and techniques, with advanced research in robotics and automatic assembly, 3D printing and digital design revealing new horizons in masonry innovation.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, Structural Assessment and Strengthening of Masonry Structures, which will focus on the following subjects:

  1. Experimental studies on load-bearing masonry structures and the assessment of their strength and stability;
  2. Calculation methods for masonry buildings and bridges;
  3. The design and seismic assessment of masonry structures;
  4. Advanced techniques in building masonry structures;
  5. Experimental and analytical research on masonry-strengthening techniques;
  6. Experimental studies regarding the effect of climate change on historical masonry;
  7. The influence of adhesives and mortars on the bearing capacity of masonry walls;
  8. The use of local eco-friendly materials for infill walls;
  9. Carbon footprint and life cycle assessment of masonry constructions;
  10. The diagnosis of masonry building integrity using advanced non-destructive methods.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Examples of research carried out on the mechanics of masonry structures;

- Topics related to new materials used in masonry structures;

- Theoretical investigations, numerical approaches and technical applications in new buildings or for strengthening built heritage.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Dorina Nicolina Isopescu
Dr. Sebastian George Maxineasa
Dr. Dragoș Ungureanu
Dr. Cătălin Onuțu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • masonry structures
  • experimental study
  • seismic assessment
  • historical masonry
  • masonry-strengthening techniques
  • life cycle assessment
  • carbon footprint

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 4024 KiB  
Article
Managing Intervention Works for Conservation and Revitalization: A Case Study of the Bârnova Monastery, Iași
by Cătălin Onuțu, Dragoș Ungureanu, Nicolae Țăranu and Dorina Nicolina Isopescu
Buildings 2024, 14(7), 2005; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072005 - 2 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1033
Abstract
This study offers insights into the management of intervention works aimed at conserving and revitalizing historical structures, focusing on the Bârnova Monastery in Iași, Romania. The study begins by contextualizing the broader challenges associated with preserving heritage churches and monastic buildings, elucidating the [...] Read more.
This study offers insights into the management of intervention works aimed at conserving and revitalizing historical structures, focusing on the Bârnova Monastery in Iași, Romania. The study begins by contextualizing the broader challenges associated with preserving heritage churches and monastic buildings, elucidating the architectural characteristics and structural aspects typical of traditional Romanian Orthodox churches. Subsequently, the study delves into a detailed case analysis centered on the restoration of the medieval Bârnova Monastery, particularly its paramount structure, the Saint George Church, erected in the XVII century. This church exemplifies the traditional Orthodox architectural and structural norms prevalent during the medieval period. Through a structural diagnosis, the study identifies the vulnerabilities of the Saint George Church, which have been exacerbated by the impact of approximately 24 earthquakes of magnitudes exceeding 6.0 throughout its history. In response, a multifaceted approach to strengthening was devised, involving a combination of grouting and the installation of steel rods within vertically drilled galleries spanning the entire height of the walls. The adoption of this integrated strengthening strategy proved advantageous, significantly enhancing the seismic resilience of the church while simultaneously addressing the preservation needs of its historical features. This case study not only contributes to the body of knowledge on conservation and revitalization practices but also offers valuable insights into the effective management of intervention works for safeguarding heritage structures against seismic risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Assessment and Strengthening of Masonry Structures)
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