In this research, a rapid seismic assessment of the I Gymnasium in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was conducted. The structural information was obtained from original designs, visual inspection, which was supported by the usage of a drone, and infrared thermography. The vulnerability of the structure was assessed by implementing the Vulnerability Index Method (VIM). Once the mean damage grades were obtained for various seismic intensities (EMS 98 scale applied) vulnerability curve was constructed, enabling the quantification of risk for various seismic scenarios. The structure would experience no to minor damage if exposed to weaker earthquakes (IV–V). The most interesting intensities for Sarajevo are VII and VIII, indicating moderate damage. For earthquakes of higher intensities (X–XII), there is a significant increase in heavy and severe damage, leading to the complete collapse in the case of XII intensity level. The paper further discussed the effects that have a direct impact on the degradation of masonry material, leading to a reduction of its resilience. An aspect of inadequate strengthening is emphasized, together with the importance of regular maintenance for prolonging the life of these types of structures.

This study proposes a sustainable multi-criteria optimization framework for the energy retrofit of collective residential buildings in Algeria, particularly those constructed between the 1970s and 1980s. Through on-site surveys, energy consumption analysis, and seasonal temperature measurements, the high energy demand of these buildings was confirmed. Using EnergyPlus simulations based on Meteoblue weather data, 16 retrofit strategies were assessed—incorporating various insulating materials applied internally or externally (via rendering or cladding). The ELECTRE III decision-making tool was employed, supported by the Simos Revised Framework (SRF) for weighting environmental, economic, and social criteria. Results demonstrate that all strategies significantly reduce energy demand—by up to 72.5%, with reductions reaching 94.4% in winter and 43.5% in summer, depending on insulation type and placement. Improvements in indoor thermal comfort were also observed, with exterior insulation beneath cladding offering the best performance during winter, while exterior rendering also proved effective in the summer. The ELECTRE III analysis identified rock wool and polyurethane with fiber cement cladding as optimal insulation solutions. The proposed approach supports national energy policies and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering a replicable model for large-scale building retrofits in similar climatic and architectural contexts.

"The main purpose of this paper is to assess the seismic resistance of a masonry building from the Austro-Hungarian period in Sarajevo. The building is situated in Sarajevo's old Baščaršija, which is well-known for its marketplace of tiny adobe and wooden buildings from the Ottoman era. It is characterized by specific Austro-Hungarian architecture from the rebuilt Latin district next to the Miljacka River. European construction rules were created following a fire in 1879. The structure is notable for its size and design, which combines Ottoman surroundings with Austro-Hungarian influences. The original structure had two floors A business area occupied the ground floor, while residential apartments occupied the top floor of the original building, which was recorded by the Governmental Building Department in 1903. It was a typical residential rental building at the time. Later, a second level was constructed while keeping the same layout and structural elements. Typical Austro-Hungarian solid bricks from that era were used to construct the load-bearing walls, with lime mortar for the joints. Sand infill serves as fire-resistant insulation between the wooden beams and boards that form the floor structure. The original pitched roof was made of wood. Numerical modeling and nonlinear static (pushover) analysis were conducted using the 3Muri software package. The 3Muri software package, specialized in analyzing masonry structures, employs the innovative Frame by Macro Element (FME) method, enabling detailed seismic behavior analysis of walls. This paper presents detailed pushover analysis results, covering the distribution of lateral forces (uniform and static) for horizontal acceleration in the X and Y directions, considering the significant damage state for a 475-year return period. The main parameter monitored during the analysis was the vulnerability indexes. Results are presented for all walls, and wall damage was analyzed relative to the direction of seismic action, identifying walls most affected by bending or shear forces."

Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) are widely employed in structural health monitoring (SHM) of large objects due to their superior capabilities compared to traditional geodetic methods. TLS provides rapid and detailed data on the geometric properties of objects, enabling various types of analyses. In this study, TLS was utilized to examine the minaret of the Bjelave Mosque, located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The inclination of the minaret was assessed using principal component analysis (PCA) and linear regression (LR) applied to sampled data from four edges of the minaret’s body. The geodetically determined inclination values were used as input data for subsequent static and pushover analyses conducted in DIANA FEA, where the minaret was modeled. The analyses indicate that the inclination increases stress and strain, leading to larger cracks and reduced structural capacity, as demonstrated by the pushover analysis curves. This study highlights the combined impact of structural inclination, water infiltration, and settlement on the minaret’s integrity and proposes these findings as a basis for future maintenance and strengthening measures.

Although the influence of infill masonry on horizontal load structure behavior is well-documented, current standards and regulations have yet to fully incorporate or explicitly define the load-bearing capacity of this complex system. Canadian and American standards present more comprehensive and specific methodologies for calculating the load-bearing capacity of infill masonry and frame systems. In contrast, European standards tend to focus on offering general guidelines for the design of these systems without delving into the detailed calculation procedures. However, extensive data and experimental studies on this topic are available in the literature. The primary aim of this paper was to compile a database of experiments involving frames with different types of infill masonry. Subsequently, the empirical results obtained through the application of analytical expressions from various standards are compared to the experimental data included in the compiled database. The obtained load-bearing values were compared to different standards and work conducted by various researchers found in the literature in order to assess their reliability. Based on the obtained results, important conclusions were drawn, specifically to the most accurate equivalent diagonal model used and the analytical expressions to be used in the assessment of the masonry-infilled steel frame behavior. The equivalent diagonal model, utilized in all analytical expressions, can provide highly accurate estimations of load-bearing capacities that closely align with the experimental results. Regardless of the type of infill element, the analytical expressions consistently overestimated the load-bearing capacity. In the presence of longitudinal force, analytical expressions tend to be conservative, providing significantly lower load-bearing values compared with experimental results, which ensures a safety margin. The database can be utilized to develop numerical models, which can subsequently serve as the foundation for probabilistic methods used in conducting reliability assessments.