Effects of Infill Panels with Various Configurations on the Non-Linear Dynamic Responses of Reinforced Concrete Structures

Abstract

Abstract: This study presents the effects of including infill panels on the non-linear dynamic response of a hypothetical reinforced concrete frame when subjected to an earthquake. Infill panels are represented by equivalent diagonal struts using three different configurations, i.e., single, double with three different connection locations with the beams, and triple struts. The main goal is to determine the simplest and most appropriate representation of the infill panels by analogous struts. The effect of panel sizes on the non-linear dynamic response of the structure is also presented in this work. The main results showed that including infill panels in the analysis reduced the natural period, roof displacement, and story drift ratio, increasing the roof acceleration and shear forces at the structure base. Utilizing the triple model and the double strut joined at the midspan of the beams showed a good agreement with those using the complete infill model.