In-situ and lab tests for mechanical characterization of stone masonry historical structures.

• Experimental characterization of stone masonry joints made of as built materials. • Stiffness parameters were obtained for both dry and mortar stone masonry joints. • Bore-hole dilatometer and Menard pressuremeter tests on masonry infill material. • Oedometric and triaxial test results were obtained for masonry infill material. • Stiffness data for original infill material was made available for numerical models. The assessment of historical structures is a broad issue likely to comprise lab or in-situ testing at the structure, component or material levels, whenever relevant characterization of mechanical and physical properties is required. The material characterization of historical structures, particularly stone masonry ones as addressed herein, involve testing the constituent materials and their interfaces, namely stone blocks, interface joints (either dry or filled with mortar) and infill material. Besides stone, for which standard testing procedures are well established, interface joints and infill material testing are challenging issues. In such context, this paper reports a summary of the authors experience on characterizing materials, and respective interfaces, of historical constructions, aiming at providing input parameters' data for numerical simulations which are deemed useful for the scientific/technical community dealing with analysis of historical structures. The main focus of the paper is on stone masonry joints' testing and on infill material characterization by in-situ or lab tests. The reported experimental activities (e.g. borehole drilling and core sampling) can be considered as minor intrusive/destructive for the global constructions, because they are very localized and can easily repairable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]