Mechanical properties of infill walls for strength evaluation of structure under seismic action

Abstract

Masonry infill walls are important elements that significantly influence the behavior of a building under seismic loads. The infill walls create complex interaction with the frame structure when movement occurs due to an earthquake. For this reason, modern seismic evaluation standards require one to consider the strength and stiffness of infill walls when evaluating the safety of the structure under earthquake loading. This study involves the determination of mechanical properties of masonry infill walls for seismic evaluation purposes. The study includes 1) survey of the construction characteristics of commonly used masonry infill walls in small and medium-sized buildings such as houses, shop houses, and school buildings; 2) testing of different types of masonry units such as burnt clay bricks, concrete masonry blocks, and light-weight concrete units; 3) testing of masonry prisms with and without plastering; and 4) testing of plastering and layering mortar. The results provide basic properties of masonry infill wall to be used in seismic evaluation of structures.