Expert consensus review reveals technical advances and design gaps in confined masonry globally, highlighting strategic pathways for resilient, affordable, and sustainable construction.
Key Points
Synthesize international research and practical experience on confined masonry construction to guide global code standardization, school safety, retrofitting, and climate adaptation.
Synthesized technical discussions and proceedings from a 2024 international virtual symposium organized by the UNESCO Chair in Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Engineering, EERI, ARUP, and Build Change.
Conducted knowledge exchanges with academic experts and engineering practitioners representing over 14 countries across four core thematic areas.
Identified significant disparities in seismic design code adoption globally, with confined masonry remaining underutilized outside Latin America despite proven earthquake resistance.
Established strategic research frameworks addressing school infrastructure implementation, existing structural retrofitting, and long-term durability under climate change pressures.