SEISMIC BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME BUILDINGS WITH MASONRY INFILL

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.