Damage Control for Clay Masonry Infills in the Design of RC Frame Structures

The damage to non structural masonry infills in RC frame structures induced by earthquake ground motions represents a considerable source of economic losses and a serious threat to human lives. Although measures for the prevention of infill damage are to some extent included in modern seismic design codes, an effective design procedure has not yet been achieved. Hence, the objective of this research is to identify, through numerical investigations and a review of previous experimental findings, the performance of masonry infills in RC frame structures designed following European code provisions, with reference to different design parameters, including building height, level of design seismic loading, ductility class, masonry typology, and infill density. The introduction of possible improvements to the current design procedure is envisaged, with the aim of achieving enhanced infill damage control through the limitation of inter-story drifts. In particular, as the first part of a wider research program, the study is focused on the behavior of traditional unreinforced clay masonry infill typologies, with masonry panels constructed in complete contact with the surrounding RC frame, since such construction techniques are still being widely used in European seismic regions.