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Although it is well documented that infills significantly affect the dynamic characteristics and the seismic response of the bare basic structural system, codes are reluctant to encourage consideration of infills as main structural elements, mainly due to structural uncertainties and computational complexities. Part of the uncertainties are due to the very many parameters affecting the behavior of the system, such as infill materials, reinforcing of infills, connection to the surrounding frame, geometry, relative stiffness and strength, local construction techniques etc. In the present paper three successive experimental programs, conducted at the R/C and Masonry Structures Laboratory of the Aristotle University, are described, commented and discussed. All of them refer to single-storey one-bay 1:3 scale R/C moment resisting frames. The first program consisted of 18 specimens, 2 bare and 16 unreinforced masonry (URM) infilled. The second program was an extension and a supplement of the previous one. It consisted of 20 more specimens, 6 bare and 14 URM infilled. The third program was directed towards the investigation of quick and low cost strengthening methods of R/C frames damaged by earthquakes, using several infill techniques. For this purpose 10 of the damaged specimens of the first program were repaired and strengthened.

The aim of this article is to present a computer-aided comprehensive strategy for the rapid visual inspection of buildings and the optimal prioritization of strengthening and remedial actions that are necessary prior to, and after, a major earthquake event, respectively. Based on the visual screening procedures used in the United States and past experience in seismic assessment of buildings in Greece and Turkey (the two countries with the highest seismic risk in Europe), a building inventory is first compiled; then a vulnerability ranking procedure that is specifically tailored to the prevailing construction practice in Southeast Europe is implemented into a multi-functional, georeferenced computer tool, that accommodates the management, evaluation, processing and archiving of the data stock gathered during the preand post-earthquake assessment process, and the visualization of its spatial distribution. The methodology proposed and the computer system developed is then applied to the city of Düzce, Turkey, a city strongly damaged during the devastating 1999 earthquake.

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