To Investigate the Contribution of Steel Reinforcement in Corner Region of Masorny Wall for Improving Key Connection

Abstract

The use of masonry infill wall for load bearing structures is quite common practice in low seismic zones, while in the high seismic zones these are used for partition walls only. The lack of seismic standards of masonry and lack of proper design parameters has made this construction practices totally empirical based. To give aesthetic architectural look, requirements of structural system increases and for the masonry construction this lacks with limited available data of design. Studies in the past have shown during earthquake masonry structures fail more in number than framed structures due to rough design and bad execution techniques. To improve the performance of masonry structures during earthquake, we need to understand its expected failures and reasons behind them. One of the failure i.e. in-plane and out of plane failure of masonry walls are very common. To improve this failure one need to improve the connection between the long wall and short wall. So that when earthquake comes, a rigid connection between walls can be introduced. This connection will help in providing resistance in between junction of long walls and short walls. When long wall faces earthquake, it comes under action of shear force and force tends to move its top portion away from its original position. If there is not properly designed key connection between these two walls, the long wall will fail at early age of loading. In case if there is strong key connection between these two walls, short wall will provide support to the long wall and increase its capacity to withstand an earthquake and vice versa. To ensure this rigid connection bricks are laid in bonds. But to make it more strong, one can use steel reinforcement in layer wise having L-shaped in plan at suitable vertical center to center distance also keeping economy in design. Resulted shear force, displacements, shear stresses and energy dissipation parameters satisfy the improved behavior of connection due to presence of steel reinforcement at suitable c/c vertical distance.