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

在美国和世界范围内，砖石建筑占建筑建筑的很大一部分。由于配筋砌体结构具有明显的经济性、防火安全性、建筑灵活性和施工简便性等特点，在中高地震区的应用日益广泛。目前的砌体结构分析和设计，以及材料和施工技术，无法准确预测建筑物在水平荷载(如地震荷载)下的行为。在美国，砖石建筑的设计和建造方法、规范和标准依赖于工作应力方法、经验规则和确定许用应力值的可疑方法的混合。砌体也是一种复杂的建筑材料，其设计和施工变量众多，影响最终产品的构型及其在地震荷载作用下的反应。为了描述砌体建筑的地震反应，有必要建立基本的知识库，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砖石研究计划中的所有研究任务。砖石建筑研究计划是由许多不同的研究人员执行的一组相互关联的特定研究任务，必须很好地协调才能实现计划目标。协调活动包括：安排和启动研究任务，确定和解决技术和操作问题，管理研究人员之间充分和及时的信息流，安排和协调研究小组会议和美日会议，与UJNR风力和地震影响小组互动，与潜在用户群体互动和与行业合作，以及传播项目成果。该项目是美日砖石建筑研究协调计划和砖石研究技术协调委员会(TCCMAR)计划的一部分。

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.