ARMOUR · Stochastic, Reliability-Based Seismic Vulnerability Assessment and Holistic Retrofit for Unreinforced Masonry Buildings in Urban Aggregates, Framed by a New Building Taxonomy for Modelling

ARMOUR aims to transform seismic risk mitigation for unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings in dense urban aggregates by uniting probabilistic seismic vulnerability assessment and holistic retrofit design into an open-access framework. A new probabilistic Building Taxonomy for Modelling (BT-M) will classify URM buildings and encode modelling-ready parameters for geometry, materials and interactions. Field Operational Modal Analysis and large-scale shake table datasets will calibrate buildings and provide probabilistic distributions of linear and nonlinear material properties. Nonlinear dynamic analyses under incremental dynamic analysis procedures, enhanced by artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms, will produce surface seismic fragility functions, which unlike traditional single-curve representation, can capture variability across damage states, engineering demand parameters, and intensity measures.Lifecycle (LC) metrics will extend seismic risk assessment (SRA), embedding life safety, monetary loss, and CO2 emissions into multi-decision-variable performance matrices. The resulting modular LC-SRA digital tool, validated and generalized to be applied in other cities, will help policymakers and engineers to select retrofit strategies that balance safety, cost and carbon footprint, also aligned with heritage preservation.ARMOUR’s strength lies in its interdisciplinary collaboration: UPC (host institution) leads the work, joined by EPFL (secondment) and ASDEA (non-academic placement) for experimental validation and industrial application, with CIMNE as an associated partner linked to the beneficiary, contributing in machine learning integration. This synergy merges structural and earthquake engineering, experimental dynamics, data science, and sustainability, delivering scientific excellence, technological innovation, and practical impact in line with EU climate neutrality goal and UN SDG 11 goal for resilient cities, and sustainable urban development.