S09 638: APPLICATION OF SEMI-INTERLOCKING BRICKS IN CONFINED MASONRY WALLS

Mehdi Hemmat1, Yuri Z. Totoev2, and Mark J. Masia3
1)  PhD Candidate, Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability
The University of Newcastle, Newcastle (Australia)
E-mail: mehdi.hemmat@uon.edu.au.
2)  Senior Lecturer, Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability
The University of Newcastle, Newcastle (Australia)
E-mail: yuri.totoev@newcastle.edu.au.
3)  Associate Professor, Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability
The University of Newcastle, Newcastle (Australia)
E-mail: mark.masia@newcastle.edu.au.

Keywords: Semi-interlocking masonry, Confined masonry, In-plane shear capacity, Confining elements, Friction force.

Abstract. A new masonry system is being developed in the Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability at The University of Newcastle. The Semi-Interlocking Masonry (SIM) system allows relative sliding of brick courses in-plane and prevents out-of-plane relative displacement of bricks. Hence, SIM has significant friction forces induced on sliding joints during earthquakes and can be used as an energy dissipation device in framed structures with masonry panels. The applicability of (SIM) as an earthquake resistant infill masonry system has been demonstrated and proven experimentally. However, it was not considered for confined masonry, which is very common in many seismic regions. Traditional confined masonry uses unreinforced masonry (URM) walls. The structural behaviour of this system shows better performance during earthquakes compared to unframed URM walls. It also seems to be cost effective as it requires less reinforcement and concrete than RC frame with masonry infill; however, it has lower strength and ductility compared to infill systems. The aim of this paper is to investigate the application of semi interlocking masonry walls in a confined masonry system. A confined SIM wall is designed and an analytical model for its inplane shear capacity is proposed. The shear capacity of confined SIM walls is compared to the capacity of confined conventional URM walls.