MULTISTOREYED BRICK SHEAR WALLS UNDER LATERAL. EARTHQUAKE FORCES

Abstract

The objects of this the is are the experimental evalua-tion of the behaviour of multi-storeyed brick buildings under lateral static and dynamic loads and the verification of the experimental findings with theoretical. results obtained by using different approaches. Four three-storeyed models of single room buildings constructed to one-third scale have tasted. One model was without any reinforcing, the second with vertical steal at the four corners, the third having vertical steel at the corners and horizontal steel at lintel levels all round the building, and the fourth one with vertical and lintel level steels as ohove with additional vertical steel at the jambs of ooenings. The models have been tested for obtaining literal load-deflection curves in the uncricked an- cracked states, natural frequencies acrd damping characteristics, and the ultimate strength under lateral loadings. The theoretical analysis has boon carried out by. the Pier method and by treating the building as a vertical cantilever. The main conclusions arrived at as a result of this investigation are that the unreinforc`d building behaves as a brittle structure giving erratic vibration behaviour, premature initial cracking and less ultimate load carrying capacity. The behaviour of the building improves as the strengthening measures are increased from Model 2 to Model 4, in the elastic stage as wall as at the ulti..r, s t the ultimate strength is increased; even more significant is the much desirable increase in the ductility and energy absorption capacity.