ANALYTICAL MODEL FOR PREDICTING OOP LATERAL BEHAVIOR OF MASONRY INFILL WALLS

The use of clay masonry infill walls in reinforced concrete (RC) frames is a common construction practice worldwide. These still represent a potentially critical problem for the overall seismic performance of buildings. This is because they are often overlooked in design procedures, being generally classified as nonstructural elements. However, their brittle behavior makes them easily damaged, resulting in a loss of building functionality and significant economic losses even at low to medium seismic intensities. This paper aims to present a recently developed analytical model for estimating the lateral OOP response of various masonry infill walls; it implements the vertical and horizontal arch mechanisms, taking into account the plate effect, the deformability of the upper beam, and the presence or absence of external reinforcement. This analytical model was calibrated in this study for some types of thin infill walls, both unreinforced and reinforced. For illustrative purposes, a parametric analysis using this model is presented, which is useful for discussing the role of the main infill vulnerability parameters on OOP capacity.