Shaking table tests on 24 simple masonry buildings

The paper presents the results of a large experimental programme carried out on models, scaled 1:2, of two-storey masonry buildings. After suffering damage, the models were repaired and strengthened and tested again. A total of 24 buildings were subjected to 119 shaking-table tests, by ISMES (Italy) and LEE (Greece) facilities. The results allow to assess the efficiency of the various strengthening techniques employed and to describe the change of dynamic properties of the systems at the increase of damage. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

组合墙结构房屋抗震性能的振动台试验研究

通过三个组合墙模型房屋的振动台试验，分析了组合墙结构体系房屋的动力性能和抗震能力，比较了底一层和底两层框架组合墙房屋和普通组合墙房屋的抗震性能。结果表明，八层组合墙房屋的抗震能力远远超过设计能力，可用于八度地区，底框架组合墙房屋的抗震性能优于普通组合墙房屋，底两层框架组合墙房屋也优于底一层框架组合墙房屋。     

Shaking table tests and dynamic analyses of masonry wall buildings with frame-shear walls at lower stories

This paper describes shaking table tests of three eight-story building models： all are masonry structures in the upper stories, with or without frame-shear walls of one- or two- stories at the bottom. The test results of damage characteristics and seismic responses are provided and compared. Then, nonlinear response analyses are conducted to examine the reliability of the dynamic analysis. Finally, many nonlinear response analyses are performed and it is concluded that for relatively hard sites under a certain lateral stiffness ratio （i.e., the ratio of the stiffness of the lowest upper masonry story to that of the frame- shear wall story）, the masonry structure with one-story frame-shear wall at the bottom performs better than a structure built entirely of masonry, and a masonry structure with frame-shear wall of two stories performs better than with one-story frame- shear wall. In relatively soft soil conditions, all three structures have similar performane. In addition, some suggestions that could be helpful for design of masonry structures with ground story of frame-shear wall structure in seismic intensity region VII, such as the appropriate lateral stiffness ratio, shear force increase factor of the frame-shear wall story, and permissible maximum height of the building, are proposed.     

Shaking table tests and dynamic analyses of masonry wall buildings with flame-shear walls at lower stories

This paper describes shaking table tests of three eight-story building models: all are masonry structures in the upper stories, with or without frame-shear walls of one- or two- stories at the bottom. The test results of damage characteristics and seismic responses are provided and compared. Then, nonlinear response analyses are conducted to examine the reliability of the dynamic analysis. Finally, many nonlinear response analyses are performed and it is concluded that for relatively hard sites under a certain lateral stiffness ratio (I.e., the ratio of the stiffness of the lowest upper masonry story to that of the frame-shear wall story), the masonry structure with one-story frame-shear wall at the bottom performs better than a structure built entirely of masonry, and a masonry structure with frame-shear wall of two stories performs better than with one-story frame-shear wall. In relatively soft soil conditions, all three structures have similar performane. In addition, some suggestions that could be helpful for design ofmasomy structures with ground story of frame-shear wall structure in seismic intensity region VII, such as the appropriate lateral stiffness ratio, shear force increase factor of the frame-shear wall story, and permissible maximum height of the building, are proposed.     

Experimental investigation on the seismic performance of masonry buildings using shaking table testing

Masonry buildings worldwide exhibited severe damage and collapse in recent strong earthquake events. It is known that their brittle behavior, which is mainly due to the combination of low tensile strength, large mass and insufficient connection between structural elements, is the main limitation for their structural implementation in residential buildings. A new construction system for masonry buildings using concrete blocks units and trussed reinforcement is presented here and its seismic behavior is validated through shaking table tests. Dynamic tests of two geometrically identical two-story reduced scale (1:2) models have been carried out, considering artificial accelerograms compatible with the elastic response spectrum defined by the Eurocode 8. The first model was reinforced with the new proposed system while the second model was built with unreinforced masonry. The experimental analysis encompasses local and global parameters such as cracking patterns, failure mechanisms, and in-plane and out-of-plane behavior in terms of displacements and lateral drifts from where the global dynamic behavior of the two buildings is analyzed comparatively. Finally, behavior factors for the design recommendations in case of unreinforced masonry are also evaluated.     

Centrifuge modelling for evaluation of seismic behaviour of stone masonry structure

Many surviving ancient monuments are freestanding stone masonry structures, which appear to be vulnerable to horizontal dynamic loads such as earthquakes. However, such structures have stood for thousands of years despite numerous historic earthquakes. This study proposes a scaled-down dynamic centrifuge modelling test to study how these masonry structures resist seismic loading. The test is proposed for seismic risk assessments to evaluate risk of damage from a future seismic event. The seismic behaviour of a 3-storey, freestanding stone block structure has been modelled and tested within a centrifuge. Models were made at 3 different scales and dynamic tests were conducted using different centrifugal acceleration fields so that the behaviours could be transformed to an equivalent full-scale prototype and compared. Data from 2 earthquakes and a sweeping signal were used to simulate the effects of earthquake ground motion within the centrifuge. The acceleration and frequency responses at each storey height of the model were recorded in different centrifugal acceleration fields. Similar behaviours appeared when the results of the small-scale models were transformed to a full-size prototype scale. This confirms that the seismic behaviour of stone masonry structures can be predicted using scaled-down models.     

Seismic behaviour of shallow foundations: Shaking table experiments vs numerical modelling

The capability of a simplified approach to model the behaviour of shallow foundations during earthquakes is explored by numerical simulation of a series of shaking table tests performed at the Public Works Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan. After a summary of the experimental work, the numerical model is introduced, where the whole soil–foundation system is represented by a multi‐degrees‐of‐freedom elasto‐plastic macro‐element, supporting a single degree‐of‐freedom superstructure. In spite of its simplicity and of the large intensity of the excitation involving a high degree of nonlinearity in the foundation response, the proposed approach is found to provide very satisfactory results in predicting the rocking behaviour of the system and the seismic actions transmitted to the superstructure. The agreement is further improved by introducing a simple degradation rule of the foundation stiffness parameters, suitable to capture even some minor details of the observed rocking response. On the other hand, the performance of the model is not fully satisfactory in predicting vertical settlements. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shaking table testing of an existing masonry building: assessment and improvement of the seismic performance

This paper aims to assess and improve the seismic performance of an existing masonry building with flexible floors, representative of a Portuguese building typology—‘gaioleiro’ buildings. The study involved seismic tests and dynamic identification tests of two models (nonstrengthened and strengthened) in the shaking table. Each model was subjected to several seismic tests with increasing amplitude. Before the first test and after each seismic test, the dynamic identification of the model was carried out, aiming at obtaining their seismic vulnerability curves based on a damage indicator obtained from the decrease of the frequencies of the modes. In the strengthened model, steel elements were used to improve the connection between walls and floors, together with ties in the upper stories. The results show that adopted strengthening technique is effective for reducing the seismic vulnerability of ‘gaioleiro’ buildings, namely for improving the out‐of‐plane behavior of the facades. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大开间小型混凝土砌块10层模型房屋抗震性能试验研究(Ⅰ)

我国抗震设计规范（GB50011－2001）规定在6、7、8度区，混凝土小砌块结构分别可以建七、六、五层。由于混凝土小砌块结构的最大优势在于10－20层（与混凝土框架或框架剪力墙结构比）。本文按1／4比例制作了10层混凝土小砌块结构模型，按7度设防要求实施构造措施，通过振动台试验研究模型结构的抗震性能。结果表明，模型结构完全能够满足在7度区“小震不坏，大震不倒”的要求。圈梁、构造柱以及水平拉结筋构成的约束体系抗震作用是明显的。试验利用砌块的非注芯孔灌注铁砂来模拟墙体出平面动力效应。在本模型的构造措施下，平出面反应不对结构破坏起控制作用。     

Seismic behaviour of confined masonry walls

The results of tests of plain and confined masonry walls with h/l ratio equal to 1·5, made at 1:5 scale, have been used to develop a rational method for modelling the seismic behaviour of confined masonry walls. A trilinear model of lateral resistance–displacement envelope curve has been proposed, where the resistance is calculated as a combination of the shear resistance of the plain masonry wall panel and dowel effect of the tie-columns’ reinforcement. Lateral stiffness, however, is modelled as a function of the initial effective stiffness and damage, occurring to the panel at characteristic limit states. Good correlation between the predicted and experimental envelopes has been obtained in the particular case studied. The method has been also verified for the case of prototype confined masonry walls with h/l ratio equal to 1·0. Good correlation between the predicted and experimental values of lateral resistance indicates the general validity of the proposed method. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shaking table testing of geofoam seismic buffers

The paper describes the experimental design and results of tests used to investigate the use of compressible EPS (geofoam) seismic buffers to attenuate dynamic loads against rigid retaining wall structures. The tests were carried out using 1-m-high models mounted on a large shaking table. Three different geofoam buffer materials retaining a sand soil were tested under idealized dynamic loading conditions. The results of these tests are compared to a nominal identical structure without a seismic buffer. The test results demonstrate that the reduction in dynamic load increased with decreasing seismic buffer density. For the best case reported here, the maximum dynamic force reduction was 31% at a peak base acceleration of 0.7g.     

Seismic behaviour of timber-laced stone masonry buildings before and after interventions: shaking table tests on a two-storey masonry model

The present work focuses on the seismic behaviour of timber-laced masonry buildings with timber floors, before and after the application of intervention techniques. A two-storey building with timber ties (scale 1:2) was subjected to biaxial seismic actions. Prior to the execution of shaking table tests, the dynamic characteristics of the model were identified. The base acceleration was increased step-wise until the occurrence of significant but repairable damages. Afterwards, the masonry was strengthened by means of grouting, whereas the diaphragm action of the top floor of the building was enhanced and the model was re-tested. The tests on the timber reinforced model before strengthening show that the presence of timber ties within the masonry elements contributes to improved seismic behaviour. The performance of the model after strengthening shows that the selected intervention techniques led to a significant improvement of the seismic behaviour of the building model.     

Shaking table tests of 1:4 reduced‐scale models of masonry infilled reinforced concrete frame buildings

Two models of masonry infilled reinforced concrete frame buildings were tested at the shaking table. Models were built in the reduced scale 1:4 using the materials produced in accordance to modelling demands of true replica modelling technique. The first model represented a one‐storey box‐like building and the second one the two‐stories building with plan shaped in the form of a letter H. Models were shaken with the series of horizontal sine dwell motions with gradually increasing amplitude. Masonry infills of tested models were constructed of relatively strong bricks laid in weak mortar. Therefore, typical cracks developed and propagated along mortar beds without cracking of bricks or crushing of infill corners. Data collected from tests will be used in future evaluation, verification and development of computational models for prediction of in‐plane and out‐of‐plane behaviour of masonry infills. The responses of tested models can be well compared with global behaviour of real structures using the modelling rules. The similarity of local behaviour of structural elements, e.g. reinforced concrete joints, is less reliable due to limitations in modelling of steel reinforcement properties. The model responses showed that buildings designed according to Eurocodes are able to sustain relatively high dynamic excitations due to a significant level of structural overstrength. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pushover-based seismic risk assessment and loss estimation of masonry buildings

A pushover-based seismic risk assessment and loss estimation methodology for masonry buildings is introduced. It enables estimation of loss by various performance measures such as the probability of exceeding a designated economic loss, the expected annual loss, and the expected loss given a seismic intensity. The methodology enables the estimation of the economic loss directly from the results of structural analysis, which combines pushover analysis and incremental dynamic analysis of an equivalent SDOF model. The use of the methodology is demonstrated by means of two variants of a three-storey masonry building both of which have the same geometry, but they are built, respectively, from hollow clay masonry (model H) and solid brick masonry (model S). The probability of collapse given the selected design earthquake corresponding to a return period of 475 years was found to be negligible for model H, which indicates the proper behaviour of such a structure when designed according to the current building codes. However, the corresponding probability of collapse of model S was very high (46%). The expected total loss given the design earthquake was estimated to amount to 28 000 € and 290 000 €, respectively, for models H and S. The expected annual loss per 100 m² of gross floor area was estimated to amount to 75 € and 191 €, respectively, for models H and S. For the presented examples, it was also observed that nonstructural elements contributed more than 50% of the total loss.     

多层砌体房屋抗震加固方法述评

本文讨论了多层砌体房屋抗震加固的原则,对目前常用的多层砌体房屋的加固方法进行了简要的论述,提出了各种方法的特点和适用范围以及需要注意的问题,并指出了将来可能的发展方向。     

Modelling methods of historic masonry buildings under seismic excitation

Historic masonry buildings in seismically active regions are severely damaged by earthquakes, since they certainly have not been explicitly designed by the original builders to withstand seismic effects, at least not in a ‘scientific’ way from today’s point of view. The assessment of their seismic safety is an important first step in planning the appropriate interventions for improving their pertinent resistance. This paper presents a procedure for assessing the seismic safety of historic masonry buildings based on measurements of their natural frequencies and numerical simulations. The modelling of the brittle nonlinear behaviour of masonry is carried out on the macro-level. As an example, a recently completed investigation of the seismic behaviour of the Aachen Cathedral is given, this being the first German cultural monument to be included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list in 1978. Its construction goes back to the 9th century a.d. and it is considered as one of the finest examples of religious architecture in Central Europe. The investigation is based on measurements of the natural frequencies at different positions and numerical simulations using a detailed finite element model of the Cathedral.     

装配式AAC砌体填充墙平面外抗震性能分析

为了适应国家绿色建筑和装配式建筑的发展,减少地震中填充墙的平面外破坏,采用ABAQUS有限元程序研究了装配式AAC砌体填充墙的平面外抗震性能。进行了不同工况下足尺有限元模型的模拟,分析了填充墙高厚比、配筋率及填充墙与框架间连接方式对其平面外抗震性能的影响,以峰值、极限状态下的荷载与跨中位移评定其平面外抗震性能。分析结果表明:采用ABAQUS进行填充墙平面外抗震性能数值模拟与试验结果吻合较好;填充墙高厚比越小,平面外承载力越大,当高厚比小于10时,墙体延性大幅下降;填充墙配筋率和承载力近似呈正比关系,但当配筋率大于0.2%时,墙体延性也会下降;高厚比在15~20和配筋率在0.1%~0.2%范围内,填充墙呈适筋延性破坏模式;填充墙与框架之间布置双向柔性连接约束,墙体具备一定延性,墙体平面外承载力较单向连接件布置有所提升。     

Shaking table testing for masonry infill walls: unreinforced versus reinforced solutions

Several factors influence the behaviour of infilled frames, which have been a subject of research in the past with moderate success. The new generation of European design standards imposes the need to prevent brittle collapse of the infills and makes the structural engineer accountable for this requirement, yet it fails to provide sufficient information for masonry infills design. Therefore, the present work aims at understanding the seismic behaviour of masonry infill walls within reinforced concrete frames, using both unreinforced and reinforced solutions (bed joint reinforcement and reinforced plaster). For this purpose, three reinforced concrete buildings with different infill solutions were constructed at a scale of 1:1.5, all with the same geometry, and were tested on the shaking table of the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, Portugal. All solutions performed adequately for the design earthquake, with no visible damage. Still, the experimental tests show that the double‐leaf‐unreinforced infill walls underperformed during a large earthquake, collapsing out of plane by rotating as rigid bodies with multiple configurations. Also the reinforced concrete buildings collapsed, because of the adverse interaction with the infill walls. The infill walls with bed joint reinforcement and reinforced plaster did not collapse out of plane, because of their connection to the concrete frame, which is an essential requirement. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.