Unreinforced Masonry Buildings and Earthquakes: Developing Successful Risk Reduction Programs
Unreinforced masonry (URM) structures in the United States typically have the greatest earthquake risk out of all types of constructions. This publication presents the problems and challenges associated with URM structures by looking at past events and research on URM structures. A wide range of successful approaches relating to reducing earthquake risk are presented. Some of these solutions include seismic retrofits, policy and regulatory issues, and assessing the viability of older URM structures.