Damage assessment of autoclaved aerated concrete buildings: some Italian case studies

The present work deals with the damage assessment of some Italian case studies of structures/walls realised in autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks. Initially, examples of static damage of walls caused by excessive deformability of the slabs, differential loads on walls, and foundation settlements, are shown. Then, the seismic behaviour of AAC masonry buildings is analysed. In particular, the behaviour of two pre-seismic code buildings damaged by the Emilia 2012 earthquake is described and compared with modern engineered buildings. Then, the behaviour of non-structural walls damaged by the Central Italy 2016 earthquake is reported. Very few case studies focusing on the damage assessment of AAC masonry buildings during real seismic events can be found in the literature. This work provides an opportunity to advance our knowledge on the behaviour of this material.