Strengthening of masonry structures: Current national and international approaches for qualification and design

The strong seismic events that have occurred in Italy during the past few years have shown the vulnerability of unreinforced masonry structures all over the country. The growing interest in the use of composite materials as a fast and effective way for structural strengthening pushed Italian public authorities to define common rules for qualification and design. Different guidelines are being developed at the national, but also at the international level, considering the different composite systems currently present on the market, generally constituted by continuous fibres in the form of fabrics or meshes embedded in a polymeric or inorganic matrix. The paper will summarize and compare the various assessment and design approaches of the composite system, highlighting the different aspects which characterize national and international procedures of certification.