Experimental and Numerical analysis of RC Frames with decoupled masonry infills

Abstract

Masonry infill walls are commonly used in reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures, also in seismically active areas, although they often experience serious damage during earthquakes. One of the main reasons for their poor behaviour is the connection to the frame, which is usually constructed using mortar. This paper describes the novel solution for infill/frame connection based on application of elastomeric material between them. The system called INODIS (Innovative Decoupled Infill System) has the aim to postpone the activation of infill in in-plane direction and at the same time to provide sufficient out-of-plane support. First, experimental tests on infilled frame specimens are presented and the comparison of the re-sults between traditionally infilled frames and infilled frames with the INODIS system are given. The results are then used for calibration and validation of numerical model, which can be further employed for investigating the influence of some material parameters on the behav-iour of infilled frames with the INODIS system.