Development of a novel infill frame system using concrete masonry infills bounded by masonry frames

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Masonry walls infilled steel or reinforced concrete (RC) frames have been commonly used in modern building construction to serve as either partitions for separating spaces or cladding for building closure. It is also understood that if the wall is built tight against its bounding frame, the infill will interact with the frame and participate in the load sharing, thus changing the structural performance of the frame system. Previous studies have shown that properly designed infills provide significant strength, ductility and energy dissipation for the frame system in resisting various types of lateral loads-even after considerable cracking. Built on the knowledge of the masonry infilled steel/RC frames, this research is to develop a novel, all-masonry infilled frame system and evaluate its structural performance in comparison with conventional infilled steel or RC frame systems. An all-masonry infilled frame is made of one material, i.e. masonry, where the masonry infill is bounded by masonry frames formed by masonry reinforced columns and tied beams. Construction of the frame and infill can occur at the same time, which will simplify and streamline both the design and construction processes as the need to coordinate with concrete or steel trades as in the steel or RC frame cases is eliminated. The all-masonry infilled system is intended to combine the boundary elements (masonry columns and beams ) and infills to form an effective lateral load resisting system in one material. This will have a significant impact on the industry practice in design and construction of masonry infill walls. This research is to develop the all-masonry frame system with different configurations and construction details and investigate its structural behaviour under both in-plane and out-of-plane loading through extensive experimental testing and numerical studies. It is expected that upon the completion of the project, constructive recommendations regarding design and analysis applicable to industry practice can be made. As one of the long-term objectives, the experimental and analytical results of the study will be used to establish a set of unified equations and design charts to be considered for inclusion in the current Canadian masonry design standard for all-masonry infilled frames.