Effects of Single and Multi Openings in Brick Infills on the Seismic Response of Infilled RC Frames

¹ Padang Institute of Technology, Civil Engineering Department  
² Andalas University, Civil Engineering Department  
³ Syiah Kuala University, Civil Engineering Department  

Abstract

Many researchers have performed a lot of studies of the seismic behavior reinforced concrete (RC) frame with masonry infill. They found that masonry infill affects the lateral strength, stiffness and ductility performance of the RC frame structures. However, when openings appeared in the panel infill for door and windows, the responses of the overall structure are entirely changed. The primary purpose of this study is to experimentally investigate the behavior of brick infilled RC frames possessing single opening and two openings. Four specimens of 1/4-scale single bay RC frames with brick infills were made that were one bare frame, one frame with full infill and two frames with infills having a central opening and two openings with the opening ratio of 25%. The specimens were tested under lateral reversed cyclic loads. Consequently, different responses of failure mechanism, lateral strength, stiffness and energy dissipated were observed among the specimens. The brick full infill failed in shear with propagation cracks in central part of the panel, but in the case of the infills with single and two openings, the cracks were dominated at the corners of the openings. The in-plane strength, stiffness and dissipated energy of infilled frames decreased when openings appeared in the panel. However, the seismic performance of brick infilled frame with the opening of 25% of panel area is better than those of bare frame. The brick infilled frames with a central opening and two openings are similar in lateral strength and dissipated energy. It seems that area and position of the openings control the seismic response to the overall infilled frame structure of the openings