Seismic performance of masonry-infilled RC frames

This paper presents the findings of a research project that focused on the seismic performance of masonry-infilled, non-ductile, RC frames. In the project, analytical methods and retrofit techniques were developed to assess and improve the performance of these structures. After a series of quasi-static tests had been conducted on one-story frame specimens, two 2/3-scale, three-story, two-bay, masonry-infilled, RC frames were tested on a shake table. One was tested with no retrofit measures, and the other had infill walls in the first and second stories strengthened with Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) and Fiber Reinforced Polymeric (FRP) overlays, respectively. The tests demonstrated the effectiveness of the retrofit measures. Computation models that combine smeared and discrete cracks have been developed and validated by the experimental data. Numerical studies conducted with the models have quantified the benefits of the ECC retrofit and shown the important role of the shear dowels that connect an ECC overlay to the RC beams in enhancing structural performance.