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The aim of this paper is to present an automated procedure for the vulnerability assessment of masonry aggregates under horizontal actions through evaluation of local failure mechanisms. The method is developed as follows: realization of a NURBS model of the whole aggregate, definition of an initial mesh of NURBS rigid elements, upper bound limit analysis with dissipation only on interfaces, and computation of the horizontal load multiplier with progressive mesh adaptation by means of a Genetic Algorithm. A masonry aggregate of the historical center of Arsita (Teramo, Italy) has been chosen as case study.

The aim of this paper is to study the vulnerability to horizontal loads of a severely damaged masonry arch bridge located in the province of Ascoli Piceno (Marche, Italy). The bridge is a traditional single-span masonry arch designated as road bridge. A wide fracture line has been observed along the longitudinal direction. The arch has been studied by applying two distribution of horizontal loads directed in the longitudinal and the transversal directions separately. A new upper bound limit analysis recently developed by the cooperation of the Polytechnic University of Milan and the University of Ferrara has been adopted. For the case of horizontal load acting along the longitudinal direction, the capacity curve and the associated fragility curve are presented.