Experimental campaign on double-leaf stone masonry specimens at the University of Pavia and EUCENTRE Pavia

Seismic response of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures is influenced by the behaviour of spandrel elements, as also demonstrated by numerical simulations and post-earthquake observation. Until recently, the understanding of the seismic behaviour of these structural components was not supported by adequate experimental tests. Only in the last few years some experimental programs have been performed with the purpose of studying the in-plane cyclic behaviour of masonry spandrel beams, made of clay bricks or perforated blocks. The experimental study presented in this work aims at investigating the seismic behaviour of stone masonry spandrels, both in the presence or in the absence of a horizontal tensile resistant element. For this reason, an experimental apparatus was designed in order to test full-scale masonry spandrel specimens. The test setup allows one to investigate the behaviour of spandrels reproducing realistic boundary conditions in the element; in particular, attention was paid to the connection between spandrel and piers. Cyclic quasi-static tests were performed on four specimens in EUCENTRE Lab, University of Pavia, Italy. The specimens were made of double-leaf stone masonry with 2 different geometries and different horizontal force and timber lintel configurations. The deformation field of the masonry was monitored also by high precision infrared camera able to position a series of passive markers glued on the specimen.