Methodology


The project will start with the analyses of state-of-the-art documentation and collection of the data for Croatian building stock and advanced assessment methods for masonry and timber structures. The majority of work will be to assess and monitor the material and structural properties of real case studies (20 in total) followed by extensive structural & numerical analyses. A database with relevant material properties will be collected with measurements on-site and off-site (laboratory experiments). The data will be used for reliability analyses. In addition to material properties, the actions on structures will be evaluated regarding the probabilistic description of historic events. Based on the established database of probabilistic properties, models for the prediction of properties will be developed. The sensitivity analysis will be used to identify the less important parameters and to discard them from the monitoring process. The goal is to give the basis for the reliable quantification of material properties and time-dependent material behaviour for the structural analysis of existing structures. Later on, the material properties will be modelled as random variables and different prior and posterior information will be used. The updating methods for the material properties and design parameters for the application in the assessment of masonry and timber structures will be evaluated and adapted. The current state of the structure, as well as the future behaviour and reliability of the structure, will be analysed for different load and environmental scenarios based on damage accumulation models. The database of failure incidents of structures will be evaluated with regard to typical failure events. Depending on the availability of information, the consequence class and required level of reliability, different procedures for the evaluation of the reliability of existing structures will be suggested in guidelines for the engineer in the assessment process.

Detailed survey, visual inspection, NDT & SHM of elements and systems for assessment of mechanical characteristics of materials will be in the focus of on-site experiments. On-site experiments will be followed by laboratory experiments. Structural analyses and numerical models will be developed to determine structural performance. Modelling of material properties will be obtained by sophisticated methods such as Bayes Updating & Value of Information analyses. The reliability and design requirements will be evaluated by means of different deterministic, semi-probabilistic and full probabilistic design procedures.