This study investigated the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) wall-slab frames with masonry infills. Four RC wall-slab frames with or without masonry infill were tested under cyclic loading. The RC frames were composed of in-plane and out-of-plane walls and top and bottom slabs. For masonry infill walls, cement bricks were stacked applying mortar paste only at the bed joints, and, at the top, a gap of 50 mm was intentionally left between the masonry wall and top RC slab. Both sides of the masonry walls were finished by applying ordinary or fiber-reinforced mortars. The tests showed that despite the gap on top of the masonry walls, the strength and stiffness of the infilled frames were significantly increased and were different depending on the direction of loading and the finishing mortars. During repeated loading, the masonry walls underwent horizontal and diagonal cracking and corner crushing/spalling, showing a rocking mode inside the RC wall-slab frame. Interestingly, this rocking mode delayed loss of strength, and as a result, the ductility of the infilled frames increased to the same level as the bare frame. The interaction of masonry infill and adjacent RC walls, depending on the direction of loading, was further investigated based on test observations.

Lightly reinforced concrete (RC) moment frames may suffer significant damage during large earthquake events. Most buildings with RC moment frames were designed without considering seismic loads. The load-displacement response of gravity load designed frames could be altered by masonry infill walls. The objective of this study is to investigate the load-displacement response of gravity load designed frames with masonry infill walls. For this purpose, three-story gravity load designed frames with masonry infill walls were considered. The masonry infilled RC frames demonstrated larger lateral strength and stiffness than bare RC frames, whereas their drift capacity was less than that of bare frames. A specimen with a partial-height infill wall showed the least drift capacity and energy dissipation capacity. This specimen failed in shear, whereas other specimens experienced a relatively ductile failure mode (flexure-shear failure).

철근콘크리트 건축물에서 비내력벽(Masonry Infill Walls)은 내부 칸막이벽이나 중저층 규모의 건물 외벽에 흔히 사용된다. 그렇지만 대부분의 경우에 비내력벽은 비구조체이므로 구조설계시 건물의 모형화에서 무시된다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 비내력벽을 보편화된 모형화 방법인 등가의 대각 압축 스트럿(Equivalent Diagonal Strut)으로 고려하여 비내력벽의 유무에 따른 저층 철근콘크리트 건축물의 전체적인 지진거동의 양상을 평가하고자 하였다. 해석결과로 비내력벽을 고려하면 시스템의 추가적인 강도 및 강성을 확보하여 층간변위비를 줄일 수 있으나 진동주기가 짧아져서 설계단계에서 고려한 지진하중보다 큰 하중을 받게 된다. 연약층이 있는 모델의 경우에는 기둥에 소성거동이 집중됨을 알 수 있으며 부분적인 붕괴가 전체 시스템의 붕괴 원인의 가능성을 가진다.