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Open research questions in Masonry and Concrete Structural Analysis

44 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 276 Masonry and Concrete Structural Analysis papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Further studies can apply the HVSR methodology to other historical structures. Research can focus on developing more advanced techniques for assessing seismic vulnerability. Studies can investigate the effects of different types of earthquakes on the pyramid's structure.

    Architectural and geotechnical aspects affecting earthquake resilience for the antique Egyptian Khufu pyramid · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to understand the structural longevity and earthquake resilience of the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Previous studies have not fully addressed the pyramid's seismic vulnerability.

    Architectural and geotechnical aspects affecting earthquake resilience for the antique Egyptian Khufu pyramid · 2026 · DOI

  • The challenge of selecting suitable reinforcement solutions for existing and historic buildings. The need to balance mechanical performance and technical limitations of reinforcement systems.

    Reforço de alvenarias não armadas · 2026 · DOI

  • The study is limited to a systematic literature review and does not include experimental data. The review is based on studies published between 2014 and January 2025, which may not reflect the current state of research.

    Reforço de alvenarias não armadas · 2026 · DOI

  • The complex static behavior of masonry arched structures. The non-linear behavior of masonry properties. The need for proper maintenance to ensure durability.

    Evaluation of Diagnostics and Recalculations of Several Czech Masonry Arch Railway Bridges · 2026 · DOI

  • The buildings are vulnerable to earthquake impacts due to their foundation, wall intersection, absence of ties or ring beams, openings, heavy roofs, and inadequate maintenance. The use of incompatible materials can compromise the cultural and architectural integrity of the structures. The lack of traditional construction knowledge and skills can hinder the implementation of effective retrofitting strategies.

    Adaptive Retrofitting Strategies for Vernacular Adobe Structures in Villages: A Post-Earthquake Assessment of the Adıyaman-Kahta Region after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes · 2026 · DOI

  • Although previous studies have established its dependence on wall size for flexural and hybrid failure modes, this relationship remains unclear for walls failing in shear.

    Experimental study of size effect on shear-controlled hollow clay brick unreinforced masonry walls under in-plane shear-compression loading · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should examine the applicability of these findings to other masonry typologies.

    Experimental study of size effect on shear-controlled hollow clay brick unreinforced masonry walls under in-plane shear-compression loading · 2026 · DOI

  • The analysis demonstrates CLT shear walls can withstand all given water depths without structural failure; validation through physical experiments or field data is needed to confirm model predictions.

    Physics-Based Flood Fragility Modeling of CLT Shear Walls · 2026 · DOI

  • The study focuses on tensile performance in laboratory acidic environments; the durability of TRM in real-world acidic exposure scenarios with varying concentrations, temperature cycling, and coupled environmental stresses remains unexplored.

    Durability of textile-reinforced mortar in acidic environments: effects of acidity level and exposure time on tensile performance · 2026 · DOI

  • A few outlier values were observed in the calculated segmental moduli, specifically anomalously high E1 values under pH 1.5 at 1000 h and 3000 h, and negative values of E2 appeared in some specimens under extreme exposure conditions, reflecting limitations in the analytical approach for capturing unstable crack growth phenomena.

    Durability of textile-reinforced mortar in acidic environments: effects of acidity level and exposure time on tensile performance · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on the use of removable polymeric shear connectors in PCSPs. Prior work has focused on permanently embedded connector systems.

    Flexural investigation of precast concrete sandwich panels with removable polymeric shear connectors · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for rigorous evaluation methodologies tailored to the unique characteristics of each historic masonry structure. The study identifies a gap in the existing literature on seismic assessment of historic masonry structures with existing damage.

    The effect of existing damage on the seismic performance of a historical masonry structure: a site-specific assessment · 2026 · DOI

  • The sparse sensor array (3 triaxial accelerometers) employed limited the spatial detail of the experimental reconstruction of mode shape. The number of measurement locations was limited due to the protected nature of the heritage structure. The study did not allow for verification of mode shape details at intermediary locations nor provide a complete off-diagonal MAC matrix for a rigorous evidence of modal orthogonality.

    Structural performance of timber-framed masonry (TFM) structures: a case study of Ayazpasha Mosque in Erzurum · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the seismic performance of historical masonry structures. The need for effective conservation strategies for historical masonry structures. The limited application of non-destructive testing and finite element modeling to historical structures.

    Structural performance of timber-framed masonry (TFM) structures: a case study of Ayazpasha Mosque in Erzurum · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to investigate the effects of rockfall impacts on concrete domes. There is a lack of studies on the stress values induced by rocks falling from different heights and with different diameters.

    Stress Analysis of Concrete Domes under the Rockfall Impact · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the nonlinear seismic behavior of masonry buildings retrofitted with TRM. The need to evaluate the effectiveness of TRM retrofitting in improving seismic response. The influence of application scheme on TRM retrofitting effectiveness is not well understood.

    Nonlinear seismic assessment of masonry buildings strengthened with textile-reinforced mortar : Two Case Studies · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for a comprehensive review of prior work on masonry arch bridges. The analysis of these bridges should consider various factors, including temperature.

    Evaluation of Diagnostics and Recalculations of Several Czech Masonry Arch Railway Bridges · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for adaptive retrofitting strategies specifically suited to local rural conditions in Adıyaman. The existing literature does not provide sufficient guidance on retrofitting vernacular adobe structures in high seismic hazard zones.

    Adaptive Retrofitting Strategies for Vernacular Adobe Structures in Villages: A Post-Earthquake Assessment of the Adıyaman-Kahta Region after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes · 2026 · DOI

  • The study is limited to simulating the compressive behaviour of masonry prisms under uniaxial compression. The block size is restricted to a narrower range than in previous analyses. The study does not capture the post-peak behaviour of the analyzed specimens using force-controlled simulations.

    Exploring the application of rigid triangular blocks in simulating the mechanics of masonry composites via DEM · 2026 · DOI

  • The structural systems of historical structures make it difficult to accurately determine their structural behavior. There is a need for effective methods to evaluate the seismic behavior of historical masonry structures.

    Nonlinear Seismic Assessment of the Historical Latife Hanım Kindergarten · 2026 · DOI

  • The present study has several limitations. Material properties were adopted from literature sources because in-situ and laboratory tests could not be performed on the registered historical structure. In addition, the numerical model was developed using a macro-modeling approach, and explicit soil– structure interaction effects were not considered. The study focused on a single historical masonry building; therefore, the findings may not be directly generalized to all historical masonry structures. Future studies may include detailed material characterization, soil–structure interaction modeling, and investigations on different historical masonry buildings to improve the reliability and general applicability of the results. 5. Conclusions/Recommendations The seismic performance of the registered historical Latife Hanım Kindergarten building was investigated through nonlinear time-history analyses using a detailed finite element macro-model developed in ANSYS. The model was developed based on architectural and structural drawings and on- site observations, and equivalent material parameters were defined considering the elastic modulus, compressive strength, and tensile strength of the stone and mortar units. Nonlinear analyses were performed for the 2023 Pazarcık and Elbistan earthquakes by scaling the two perpendicular horizontal components of the acceleration records according to the DD-2 design spectrum and applying them in two different axis orientations. 615 35404550556065707580-40481216Displacement (mm)Time (s) X Y35404550556065707580-40481216Displacement (mm)Time (s) X Y Firat Univ Jour. of Exp. and Comp. Eng., 5(2), 594-618, 2026 A. Kütük, H. Erkek For the 2023 Pazarcık earthquake, the maximum displacements were obtained as 10.931 mm in the x- direction and 15.510 mm in the y-direction, indicating non-rigid behavior and possible localized nonlinear response in the masonry system. The maximum base shear forces reached 4828.9 kN (x- direction) and 4784.9 kN (y-direction), exceeding the typical 2,000–3,500 kN range obtained for the other records and challenging the lateral load transfer capacity of the structure. The maximum compressive (S3) and tensile (S1) stresses were found as 2.048 MPa and 0.360 MPa, respectively, under different component orientations of the Pazarcık record. Stress concentration plots showed tensile stresses concentrated near the foundation and compressive stresses in upper regions. The similarity between the numerically obtained stress patterns (including 45° inclined cracks) and the post-earthquake damage observed in the structure indicates that the model represents the real behavior with reasonable accuracy. Similar stress concentrations around openings, wall intersections, and geometrical discontinuities were also reported by Erkek and Yetkin [11], Erkek et al. [15], Erkek et al. [33], Yetkin [19], and Yetkin et al. [39] in their investigations on historical masonry structures and heritage monuments subjected to earthquake loading. The consistency between the findings of the present study and those reported in the literature suggests that stress localization around openings, wall intersections, and other geometric discontinuities is a common seismic response characteristic of historical masonry structures. Furthermore, the agreement between the numerical results and field observations supports the reliability of the adopted finite element modeling approach for assessing the seismic behavior of historical masonry buildings. Among the examined scenarios, the 2023 Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) earthquake was identified as the most critical for the historical structure in terms of displacements, base shear forces, and compressive–tensile stresses. Overall, the study demonstrates that detailed nonlinear numerical modeling is an effective tool for assessing the seismic safety of historical masonry structures and for supporting the development of appropriate strengthening strategies.

    Nonlinear Seismic Assessment of the Historical Latife Hanım Kindergarten · 2026 · DOI

  • The accelerometer mass corresponds to approximately 61% of the specimen mass, which may introduce mass loading effects. The study uses a relatively high sensor-to-specimen mass ratio, which may reduce the measured natural frequencies and alter damping estimates. Future investigations will employ low-mass or non-contact sensors to further reduce mass loading effects.

    Experimental investigation of dynamic characteristics of basalt fiber composite plates using impact-based modal analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of experimental data on the dynamic and damping properties of basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) composites. The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the dynamic characteristics of basalt fiber composite plates.

    Experimental investigation of dynamic characteristics of basalt fiber composite plates using impact-based modal analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The design and arrangement of dampers need to be combined with the dynamic characteristics of the structure. The performance degradation after long-term use needs to be paid attention to. The initial cost of isolation technology is high, and the site conditions and isolation layer design requirements are strict.

    Review on Research Progress and Application of Seismic Reinforcement Technology at Home and Abroad · 2026 · DOI

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44 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 276 Masonry and Concrete Structural Analysis papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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