Experimental Study on the Behavior of Confined Masonry Walls Subjected To Out-Of-Plane Concentrated Loads

Abstract eng:
This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the out-of-plane seismic behavior of confined masonry walls. Three full-scale confined walls were tested in the laboratory under concentrated reverse cyclic loads. The variable studied was the wall axial stress. Walls were constructed using hollow clay bricks laid in half running bond. Mortar used in construction was in proportion by volume 1:2:7 (Portland cement: lime: sand). The geometry and reinforcement details for the concrete confining elements were based on those minimum specified in the Mexico City Masonry Technical Norm. The wall test setup consisted of three parts: an axial load system, a support system, and an out-of-plane load system. The support system allowed the out-of-plane horizontal displacement and restricted the rotation at the top of the wall. Based on the results obtained in this work, it is concluded that the final cracking pattern of walls was in general similar. The out-ofplane behavior of walls was linear elastic until the formation of the first horizontal masonry cracks. After that, the behavior was nonlinear. This nonlinear behavior was related to the presence of new horizontal cracks in the wall panel, horizontal cracks in the vertical confining elements and yielding of the flexural reinforcement of the wall. As the axial load increased the out-of-plane strength also increased. This was related to the additional vertical displacement restriction provided by the axial load.

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