Estimating the Seismic Strength of Infill Walls by Means of Hollow Brick Prism Tests

Architectural infill walls interact with the surrounding reinforced concrete load bearing members of building under lateral earthquake loads and can change system behavior significantly. Therefore, strength calculation these may become mandatory for designers. These often formed horizontally-hollow clay based bricks in many regions world. However, depends on loading direction remain diagonal compression strut an wall are subjected to biaxial compression. Thus, testing procedures investigate only perpendicular bed-joint seems insufficient reflect actual behavior. Accordingly, it is confusing designers determine or consider compressive hollow order model calculate wall. To clear up this confusion, seismic plastered made were tried be estimated by various prism tests. The effects direction, plaster, presence a single double brick experimentally investigated. Six reference more than 170 specimens tested accordance scope. correlation between was established valid practical method. Results showed that diagonally loaded group successfully adequately experimental strength. In addition, if not possible conduct, average vertically horizontally tests used instead.