Low-rise masonry buildings around the world often include unreinforced masonry (URM) walls combined with pitched roofs that are supported or enclosed by masonry gables. Such buildings constitute a significant portion of the built environment in several earthquake-prone regions, affected by either natural or induced seismicity. Masonry gables in these structures have repeatedly shown high seismic vulnerability to out-of-plane excitations, as documented in post-earthquake survey studies. This paper presents the main outcomes of an experimental campaign carried out within the ERIES-SUPREME project to increase the understanding in URM gable out-of-plane seismic response. Three full-scale, densely instrumented gable specimens were tested using a dual shake-table configuration and subjected to incremental dynamic excitations up to collapse, simulating both induced and tectonic earthquake scenarios. The experimental tests examined the influence of differential motions between the top and base of the gable wall, either linearly amplified or both amplified and out-of-phase, implemented by the two tables to reproduce the interaction with three distinct roof diaphragm configurations. Experimental results are discussed in terms of observed failure mechanisms, hysteretic force-displacement behaviour, as well as acceleration and displacement capacities. In particular, increasing roof diaphragm flexibility leads to earlier activation of the out-of-plane failure mechanism and to a marked reduction in collapse acceleration at the gable base, while the acceleration at ridge level provides a more consistent representation of the effective seismic demand acting on the gables.

Base isolation systems represent one of the most effective strategies for the seismic protection of buildings and infrastructure, applicable to both new constructions and retrofitting projects. Base isolation has received significant attention over the past few decades that led to remarkable improvements of this technology, resulting in the progressive deployment of better performing devices. Despite these significant advancements, the current understanding of the performance of isolated structures primarily stems from component-level testing of brand-new isolation bearings, while comprehensive studies on the long-term behavior of base isolation systems, particularly involving large groups of isolators in real-world applications, remain limited. The PASFIT project, introduced in this paper, addresses this knowledge gap by conducting extensive dynamic field testing of a 15-yearold base-isolated residential building equipped with 32 single-friction-pendulum bearings. This unique experimental program offers two key benefits: evaluating the performance of an entire group of base isolators under real-world conditions and providing valuable data for an in-depth analysis of the overall structural response of both the building and the isolation system, particularly in relation to material aging and natural deterioration over time. This paper presents an overview of the PASFIT project, detailing the efforts undertaken to successfully complete its ambitious experimental activities. Preliminary results are summarized at the end of the paper and contextualized within the broader objectives of quantifying isolation system degradation and validating its long-term reliability.

Low-rise masonry buildings worldwide frequently feature unreinforced masonry (URM) walls coupled with various pitched roof configurations supported by masonry gables. Past earthquakes have highlighted the vulnerability of these components to out-of-plane seismic loads due to their high slenderness, insufficient roof connections, and exposure to amplified accelerations while being subjected to minimal overburden due to their location at the upper part of buildings. This study presents key insights from the experimental campaign of the ERIESSUPREME project, aimed at enhancing the understanding of the out-of-plane seismic behavior of masonry gables. Incremental dynamic tests were performed on three full-scale URM gables, simulating both induced and tectonic earthquake scenarios until collapse, using two shake tables. Differential motions at the top and bottom tables reproduced the interaction of the gables with three different roof diaphragm configurations, each introducing a unique filtering effect on the seismic input. The outcomes of the experiments can be used for refining existing numerical modelling strategies as well as contribute to developing improved tools for the seismic assessment of URM gables.

This article presents a dataset from an experimental campaign investigating the out-of-plane (OOP) seismic response of unreinforced masonry (URM) gables in existing buildings. Addressing a critical gap in published research, the dataset provides novel experimental data on the incremental dynamic OOP behavior of three URM gables tested under seismic loading until full collapse. All three gables were nominally identical but differed in their interaction with the supporting roof structure. This interaction was experimentally reproduced by imposing differential motions at the top of the gables, which were either linearly amplified or both amplified and phase-shifted relative to the motion at the base. This approach ensured idealized and numerically replicable boundary conditions, making the dataset an ideal benchmark for refining existing and developing new modeling approaches for URM structures. The dataset includes measured and calculated acceleration, displacement, and force time histories. Beyond supporting the validation and development of numerical models, it can also contribute to improving guidelines for the out-of-plane seismic assessment of URM gables and is openly available for further research and engineering applications.

Seismic design and assessment of structures hinge on accurately quantifying the non-linear behaviour of various structural and non-structural elements within the built environment. Experimental testing has become a cornerstone of earthquake engineering, providing invaluable insights into key structural behaviours that can be either designed for or mitigated against. This paper presents ongoing experimental activities at the Eucentre Foundation, under the auspices of the ERIES project, funded by the European Union. The project facilitates collaboration between research groups across Europe and leading research infrastructures as part of the transnational access and joint research initiative. The experimental facilities such as 9DLAB and MOBILAB at the Eucentre Foundation play a central role in these efforts, offering unparalleled flexibility, mobility, and adaptability in test setups—capabilities that are unique on a global scale. This study highlights several experimental research efforts, including the characterisation of the energy dissipation capacity of masonry infill walls and the exploration of sustainable retrofitting solutions for enhancing the capacity of rubble stone walls. Additionally, the paper discusses innovative in-situ testing of base-isolated buildings using a mobile shaking table. These advanced and adaptable experimental testing facilities not only deepen our understanding of the seismic behaviour of structures but also pave the way for new research directions in earthquake engineering. By harnessing these capabilities, researchers can better address the challenges of seismic resilience, leading to safer and more sustainable designs.

Pallet racking is a long-established material handling solution that optimizes warehouse space through multi-level pallet storage and ensures time efficiency through the absence of any mechanical fasteners between the goods and the supporting steel structure. This however could lead to potentially vulnerable situations since heavy pallets are stored at high load-levels, with only the force of gravity and friction keeping them in place. Recent earthquakes have highlighted these risks, with pallet sliding and fall-offs causing operational disruptions and structural collapses; such failure modes are not adequately addressed by current seismic design codes for racks. The ERIES project RACKSLIDE addresses this knowledge gap through an extensive experimental campaign that investigates pallet sliding on two rack configurations with diverse structural characteristics. Test specimens, that depict small portions of the actual frames, are designed and constructed by industry experts and then installed on an innovative 9 degrees-offreedom shake table system. By using as input motion, the load-level accelerations, evaluated by numerical modelling of the entire system, the proposed setup allows to assess sliding phenomena on the uppermost levels of high-rise racks. Afterwards, the experimental results are compared with blind predictions from numerical analyses, leveling the ground for future model calibrations and code applications.

This paper discusses the effectiveness of Composite Reinforced Mortars (CRM) and Fiber-Reinforced Mortars (FRM) as seismic retrofit of existing stone masonry buildings. A large experimental campaign was conducted within the ERIES-RESTORING project, involving vertical compression, diagonal compression, and quasi-static cyclic tests. Undressed stone masonry specimens under different retrofit configurations, compatible with historical masonry, were studied: bare masonry, CRM applied on one side, CRM applied on two sides, and FRM applied on two sides. The CRM retrofit consisted of a glass-FRP mesh embedded in natural hydraulic-lime mortar and the FRM retrofit of a mortar with polymeric fibers. For the vertical and compression tests, three masonry wallettes were tested for each retrofit configuration, excluding the FRM that was not tested under this type of loading. Instead, for the testing of the in-plane cyclic behavior, full-size piers were subjected to a constant axial stress level and double-fixed boundary conditions. Two different pier aspect ratios were investigated to study the flexural and shear behavior. The FRM retrofit was tested only under quasi-static cyclic shear-compression loading and was applied directly to both sides of a single pier with an aspect ratio inducing flexural behavior. The experimental results, including damage mechanisms, lateral strength, and deformation capacity, can be referred to for calibrating advanced numerical models and conducting parametric studies on geometric, material, and loading conditions. Lastly, the outcomes of this project will contribute to the validation of analytical models and the development of design guidelines and code requirements for these retrofitting techniques on historical masonry.

This paper presents a series of shaking table tests on a full-scale flat-bottom steel silo filled with soft wheat, under isolated-base conditions. The tested specimen is a 3.64 m-diameter 5.50 m-height corrugated-wall cylindrical silo, representing the smallest manufactured silo available in the catalogue of an Italian commercial silo provider. Curved Surface Slider isolators were introduced between the shaking table and the reinforced-concrete plate, on which the silo was mounted, to realize the isolated configuration where the main results have been investigated and compared with other results for the same silo specimen under fixed-base conditions. A detailed description of the silo components, the filling bulk material properties as well as the test setup is provided, including the full testing protocol. Multiple sensors were used to monitor the dynamic response of the filled silo system, including accelerometers, pressure cells, LVDT displacement transducers. Numerous unidirectional dynamic tests were conducted consisting of random signals, sinusoidal inputs, pulse-like inputs, and both artificial and real earthquake records. The results were processed to evaluate the performance of the isolators and their effectiveness on the silo response in terms of measured accelerations and dynamic overpressures. The efficiency of the isolation on the reduction of both acceleration amplifications over the silo wall height as well as the captured dynamic overpressures were detected in the range 30%-80% depending on the input type and magnitude.

Non-structural elements such as electrical cabinets play a key role in determining the seismic performance of buildings. Seismic qualification shake table testing of non-structural elements is a relatively simple way to evaluate their expected seismic performance. This paper presents a shake table testing campaign performed on several electrical cabinet specimens using the 6DLAB laboratories at the EUCENTRE Foundation located in Pavia, Italy. These shake table tests were performed as part of the research project Creazione di un Ambiente Domestico Sicuro (CADS). The physical properties of all the tested electrical cabinet archetypes varied considerably including: base-mounted electrical cabinets, wall-mounted electrical cabinets, electrical cabinets with different attachment strengths, and electrical cabinets with different framing structure strengths. The shake table tests were carried out using two seismic testing protocols, one of which is commonly used for the seismic qualification of non-structural elements, whereas the second one was proposed within the scope of the CADS Project. The performance of selected electrical cabinet archetypes during the shake table tests are presented and discussed in this paper.

This paper reports on a series of shaking table tests on a full-scale flat-bottom steel silo filled with soft wheat, characterized by aspect ratio of around 0.9. The specimen was a 3.64-m diameter and 5.50-m high corrugated-wall cylindrical silo. Multiple sensors were used to monitor the static and dynamic response of the filled silo system, including accelerometers and pressure cells. Numerous unidirectional dynamic tests were performed consisting of random signals, sinusoidal inputs, and both artificial and real earthquake records. The objectives of this paper are (i) to provide a general overview of the whole experimental campaign and (ii) to present selected results obtained for the fixed-base configuration. The measured data were processed to assess the static pressures, the dynamic overpressures (related to the effective mass) and the accelerations of monitored points on the silo wall, and to identify the basic dynamic properties (fundamental frequency of vibration, damping ratio, dynamic amplification factors) of the filled silo. The main findings are discussed and compared with the predictions given by available theoretical models and code provisions. It is found that the fundamental frequency slightly decreases with increasing acceleration, while it slightly increases with increasing compaction of the granular material. For close-to-resonance input, the dynamic amplification (in terms of peak values of accelerations) increases along the height of the silo wall up to values of around 1.4 at the top surface of the solid content. The dynamic overpressures appear to increase with depth (differently from the EN1998-4 expectations), and to be proportional to the acceleration.

In this research work the outcomes of a hybrid experimental campaign are analyzed, in order to evaluate the influence of aftershock events on the frictional response of sliding-based isolation devices for buildings. To achieve this, a hybrid testing framework was accordingly defined, by considering a numerical substructure, in terms of a simplified analytical model of a case study structure, and a physical substructure, as a full-scale Curved Surface Slider device, tested within the Bearing Tester System of the EUCENTRE Foundation Laboratory in Pavia (Italy). The tested isolator was equipped with a special sliding material, made up of a Poly-Tetra-Fluoro-Ethylene-based compound (PTFE), filled with carbon fibers and with a solid lubrication. The hybrid tests were performed, in terms of earthquake simulations, and the response of the base-isolated structural system was computed, by applying single-events, rather than aftershock chains. Results lead to a better understanding of the behavior of sliding-based seismic isolation systems, characterized by medium-to-high tribological properties, in terms of peak and residual displacements for both the single-event and the mean responses. Specifically, this work provides hybrid experimental evidence of the influence of an initial displacement offset on the overall behavior of the considered structural system.

Recent destructive earthquakes in China (Sichuan, 2008 and Yushu, 2010), Japan (Tohoku, 2011) and Italy (Emilia, 2012) highlighted the social and the political consequences of seismic risk due especially to industrial facilities. More precisely, critical interactions between the supporting structure and process components reveal to be extremely vulnerable in a seismic scenario and capable to lead serious damage of process equipment and potential release of hazardous substances. This latter circumstance, underestimated by current codes, in addition to loss of production, pose a serious danger to humans and the surrounding environment. Based on these premises, the SPIF project - Seismic Performance of Multi-Component Systems in Special Risk Industrial Facilities - was proposed within the framework of the European H2020 - SERA funding scheme. In greater detail, the goal of the project is the investigation of both the seismic behavior and the dynamic interactions of a representative industrial substructure equipped with complex process technology by means of shaking table tests. A full-scale mock-up composed by two single-bay moment resisting frames with three floors equipped with tanks, flanges, pipes, cabinet etc. was built and tested using a unidirectional shaking table activated with several earthquake levels. More precisely, the salient features investigated by shaking table testing are: i) the interaction between a primary moment resisting frame steel structure and secondary process components that influence the performance of the whole system; ii) input and system modelling capable to faithfully reproduce the seismic response of SPIF tested structure. The comprehensive testing campaign demonstrated a clear dynamic interaction between the primary steel structure and secondary process units that emphasizes the need of further investigations and studies.

The hybrid simulation method is used to test one or some components of a prototype structure subjected to a plausible loading history, accounting for their interaction with the untested ones, which are simulated numerically. If tested components have similar numerical counterparts, a possible approach to reduce simulation errors is to update the parameters of numerical substructures based on tested physical substructures. For this reason, online parameter estimation has gained the attention of the hybrid simulation community in the last decade. The term online indicates that the parameters of the identification model of the physical substructure are updated during the experiment. Main state-of-the-art middleware tools (e.g., OpenFresco and UI-SIMCOR) have been extended to support online model updating for the pseudodynamic hybrid simulation method. In this case, both numerical substructures and dynamic identification models are implemented on existing finite-element analysis software, which communicates with the middleware using a data exchange protocol with non-deterministic time schedule (e.g., TCP/IP). On the other hand, fast- and real-time hybrid simulation methods require a deterministic data exchange schedule between substructures, which imposes the adoption of hard real-time implementations. In this context, partitioned time integration is proposed to coordinate the parallel execution of simulation and model updating processes with heterogeneous sampling rates. As a result, the allocation of computational resources can leverage parallelization capabilities of multi-core CPUs.

Past earthquakes demonstrated the high vulnerability of industrial facilities equipped with complex process technologies leading to serious damage of the process equipment and multiple and simultaneous release of hazardous substances in industrial facilities. Nevertheless, the design of industrial plants is inadequately described in recent codes and guidelines, as they do not consider the dynamic interaction between the structure and the installations and thus the effect of seismic response of the installations on the response of the structure and vice versa. The current code-based approach for the seismic design of industrial facilities is considered not enough for ensure proper safety conditions against exceptional event entailing loss of content and related consequences. Accordingly, SPIF project (Seismic Performance of Multi-Component Systems in Special Risk Industrial Facilities) was proposed within the framework of the European H2020 - SERA funding scheme (Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research Infrastructure Alliance for Europe). The objective of the SPIF project is the investigation of the seismic behaviour of a representative industrial structure equipped with complex process technology by means of shaking table tests. The test structure is a three-story moment resisting steel frame with vertical and horizontal vessels and cabinets, arranged on the three levels and connected by pipes. The dynamic behaviour of the test structure and of its relative several installations is investigated. Furthermore, both process components and primary structure interactions are considered and analyzed. Several PGA-scaled artificial ground motions are applied to study the seismic response at different levels. After each test, dynamic identification measurements are carried out to characterize the system condition. The contribution presents the experimental setup of the investigated structure and installations, selected measurement data and describes the obtained damage. Furthermore, important findings for the definition of performance limits, the effectiveness of floor response spectra in industrial facilities will be presented and discussed.

The present paper focuses on the use of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), commonly known as drones, for the fast mapping of medium to large areas in an emergency response scenario, for example after a seismic event. The information obtained by processing the aerial acquired data (generally images) provide a significant contribution not only in supporting the Search and Rescue (SAR) activities, when timeliness is crucial, but also in the framework of debris volume assessment, exterior safety inspection of critical infrastructures and post-event reconnaissance and reconstruction activities. Within the context of coordinated flight planning for emergency aerial photogrammetry (involving the use of commercial multi-rotor UAS fleets), an operative strategy is proposed in order to address several critical aspects, frequently faced in particular when mapping large areas. The results and the lessons learned from an in-situ implementation of the presented procedure are also reported.

Past earthquakes demonstrated the high vulnerability of industrial facilities equipped with complex process technologies leading to serious damage of process equipment and multiple and simultaneous release of hazardous substances. Nonetheless, current standards for seismic design of industrial facilities are considered inadequate to guarantee proper safety conditions against exceptional events entailing loss of containment and related consequences. On these premises, the SPIF project -Seismic Performance of Multi-Component Systems in Special Risk Industrial Facilities- was proposed within the framework of the European H2020 SERA funding scheme. In detail, the objective of the SPIF project is the investigation of the seismic behaviour of a representative industrial multi-storey frame structure equipped with complex process components by means of shaking table tests. Along this main vein and in a performance-based design perspective, the issues investigated in depth are the interaction between a primary moment resisting frame (MRF) steel structure and secondary process components that influence the performance of the whole system; and a proper check of floor spectra predictions. The evaluation of experimental data clearly shows a favourable performance of the MRF structure, some weaknesses of local details due to the interaction between floor crossbeams and process components and, finally, the overconservatism of current design standards w.r.t. floor spectra predictions.