A method to quantitatively assess the vulnerability of masonry structures subjected to rockfalls

This paper proposes a quantitative method to assess the physical vulnerability of masonry buildings subjected to rockfalls. The impact of a boulder either results in no damage or in a local damage. Depending on the impact energy and the geometrical disposition of the structural and non-structural elements of the building, the local damage can further propa- gate across the structure, implying a (partial or global) collapse. Three mechanisms of local failure for the masonry walls are considered: punching, arching and vertical bending. For each of them, the method allows to evaluate the equivalent horizontal force exerted on the wall. The most likely local failure mode is then identified considering a full plastic impact model. For sake of simplicity, the damage propagation is geometrically treated with some further information about the arrangement and the typology of the structural elements. Some practical recommendations for on-site surveying concerning building heritage are also given in the text. Finally, the proposed approach is applied to a real case study in order to test its applicability.