Effect of reinforcing patterns on the behavior of masonry walls in r.c. frames

The contribution of infill or reinforced masonry to overall response of reinforced concrete frames has been the interest of many researchers for the last five decades. Recently, more attention has been paid to structures made of reinforced masonry with high strength concrete frame. In this study, the effect of different reinforcement patterns aligned horizontally, vertically or in mesh within the masonry panel is investigated. The salient features of the behavior of the system under consideration were the modes of failure, deformational characteristics, strain development, and ultimate capacity. An experimental program was performed and then nonlinear finite element analysis was conducted. The computational model was verified and subsequently employed to provide more insight into the behavior and the transmission of internal forces for the composite system of reinforced masonry panels and reinforced concrete frame. The results indicated some important aspects regarding the reinforcement ratio, location, and the execution process to enhance the performance in cases of gravitational loading as well as push-over analysis. (author)