Experimental tests on masonry infilled gravity- and seismic-load designed RC frames

The present study reports results of pseudo-static experimental tests on one-storey one-bay Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames with and without masonry infill walls. Four specimens were tested, two designed for Gravity Loads only according to Italian technical code provisions in force during 1970s-90 s (GLD), and two designed for Seismic Loads according to current code provisions (SLD). Specimens were built in 1:2 scale and tested with and without infill walls, made up of 80 mm thick hollow clay units typical of light non-structural masonry. Test setup was designed in order to reproduce the behaviour of the frames under seismic action, thus avoiding any direct interaction between setup elements used for imposing lateral displacement and beam-column joints. SLD frames, which were designed according to capacity design principles (i.e. strength hierarchy rule between elements and failure modes), showed a ductile behaviour, as expected. The presence of the infill wall led to a stiffness and strength increase in the global response of the frame, without affecting the response of RC elements. Brittle failure mechanisms played a key role in the response of GLD frames, due to local interaction between infill wall and RC elements and to beam-column joint behaviour, in specimen with and without infill wall respectively.