Mechanical properties characterization of different types of masonry infill walls

Abstract

It is remarkable, the recent advances concerning the development of numerical modeling frameworks to simulate the infill panels’ seismic behavior. However, there is a lack of experimental data of their mechanical properties, which are of full importance to calibrate the numerical models. The primary objective of this paper is to present an extensive experimental campaign of mechanical characterization tests of infill masonry walls made with three different types of masonry units: lightweight vertical hollow concrete blocks and hollow clay bricks. Four different types of experimental tests were carried out, namely: compression strength tests, diagonal tensile strength tests, and flexural strength tests parallel and perpendicular to the horizontal bed joints. A total amount of 80 tests were carried out and are reported in the present paper. The second objective of this study was to compare the mechanical properties of as-built and existing infill walls. The results presented and discussed herein, will be in terms of strain-stress curves and damages observed within the tests. It was observed a fragile behavior in the panels made with hollow clay horizontal bricks, without propagation of cracks. The plaster increased the flexural strength by 57%.

Keywords

masonry infill walls / experimental characterization / compression strength / shear diagonal strength / flexural strength

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the support financially support by: Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007457-CONSTRUCT-Institute of R&D in Structures and Construction funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and by national funds through FCTFundacão para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, namely through the research project P0CI-01-0145-FEDER-016898-ASPASSI-Safety Evaluation and Retrofitting of Infill masonry enclosure Walls for Seismic demands. The authors would like to acknowledge the technicians of the Laboratory of Earthquake and Structural Engineering (LESE), Mr. Valdemar Luis, Mr. Guilherme Nogueira and Mr. Nuno Pinto for their support in the experimental activity reported in this paper. Finally, the authors want to acknowledge to Artebel and Preceram for the provision of all the concrete blocks and bricks used in the experimental tests.

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