Coordination and Integration of U.S.-Japan Program for Masonry Research

砌体结构建筑在美国和世界建筑中占很大比例。配筋砌体结构以其经济性、防火安全性、建筑灵活性和施工方便等显著特点，在中、高烈度地震区得到越来越多的应用。砌体结构分析和设计的现状，以及材料和施工技术不能准确预测建筑物在横向荷载（如地震荷载）下的行为。在美国，砖石建筑物的设计和建造方法、规范和标准依赖于工作应力方法、经验规则和用于确定容许应力值的可疑方法的混合。砌体也是一种复杂的建筑材料，因为大量的设计和施工变量会影响最终产品的配置及其在地震荷载下的响应。为了描述砌体结构的地震反应，有必要开发基本的知识库，以确定符合安全和经济要求的基本设计方法。该研究项目整合了美国砌体研究计划中的所有研究任务。砖石建筑研究计划是一套相互关联的具体研究任务，由许多不同的研究人员进行，必须很好地协调，以实现计划目标。协调活动包括：安排和启动研究任务，识别和解决技术和业务问题，管理研究人员之间的充分和及时的信息流，安排和协调研究小组会议和美国-日本会议，与UJNR风和地震效应小组的互动，与潜在用户团体的互动，与工业界的合作，以及传播计划结果。这个项目是美国的一部分-日本Massimo建筑研究协调计划和Massimo研究技术协调委员会（TCCMAR）计划。

Masonry construction comprises a large portion of building construction in the U.S. and the world. Reinforced masonry construction use is increasing in moderate to higher seismic zones because of its apparent features of economy, fire safety, architectural flexibility and ease of construction. The present state of masonry structural analysis and design, and materials and construction technologies does not enable an accurate prediction of building behavior under lateral loads such as seismic loads. In the U.S., masonry buildings are designed and built with methods, codes and standards that rely upon a mixture of working stress methods, empirical rules, and questionable methods for determining allowable stress values. Masonry is also a complex building material because of the large number of design and construction variables which influence the final product configuration and its response under seismic loads. In order to describe the seismic response of masonry buildings it is necessary to develop the fundamental knowledge base to determine basic design methodologies consistent with safety and economic requirements. This research project integrates all research tasks in the U.S. masonry research program. The masonry building research program is an interrelated set of specific research tasks performed by many different researchers which must be well coordinated to achieve programs goals. Coordination activities include: scheduling and initiating research tasks, identification and resolution of technical and operational problems, management of adequate and timely flow of information among researchers, scheduling and coordinating research group meetings and U.S.- Japan meetings, interaction with the UJNR Panel on Wind and Seismic Effects, interaction with potential user groups and working with industry, and dissemination of program results. This project is part of the U.S.-Japan Coordinated Program for Masonry Building Research and the Technical Coordinating Committee for Masonry Research (TCCMAR) Program.