SEISMIC BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME BUILDINGS WITH MASONRY INFILL

Abstract

In most countries situated in seismic regions especially in Morocco, reinforced concrete frame
buildings are infilled by brick or concrete-block masonry walls. In Moroccan seismic code RPS2000, infill walls
are considered as non-structural elements and their contribution and influence on the seismic response are
ignored in the design. In the present study, the seismic behavior of multistory reinforced concrete frame with
masonry infill is investigated using the strut model to capture the global effects of the infill. Nonlinear pushover
analysis has been used to evaluate the seismic response. An equivalent strut model has been used for masonry
infill. The results of numerical simulations show that the infill walls have a strong influence on the seismic
response and ignoring their effects is not on the safe side. They should be considered in the seismic design and
analysis of buildings with masonry infill.