Development and Calibration of a 3D Micromodel for Evaluation of Masonry Infilled RC Frame Structural Vulnerability to Earthquakes

Abstract

Within the scope of literature, the influence of openings within the infill walls that are bounded by a reinforced concrete frame and excited by seismic drift forces in both in- and out-of-plane direction is still uncharted. Therefore, a 3D micromodel was developed and calibrated thereafter, to gain more insight in the topic. The micromodels were calibrated against their equivalent physical test specimens of in-plane, out-of-plane drift driven tests on frames with and without infill walls and openings, as well as out-of-plane bend test of masonry walls. Micromodels were rectified based on their behavior and damage states. As a result of the calibration process, it was found that micromodels were sensitive and insensitive to various parameters, regarding the model’s behavior and computational stability. It was found that, even within the same material model, some parameters had more effects when attributed to concrete rather than on masonry. Generally, the in-plane behavior of infilled frames was found to be largely governed by the interface material model. The out-of-plane masonry wall simulations were governed by the tensile strength of both the interface and masonry material model. Yet, the out-of-plane drift driven test was governed by the concrete material properties.