Controlled rocking reinforced masonry systems for enhanced resilience under seismic risk

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There is a real potential for a major earthquake to be the costliest disaster in Canadian history, and building owners are increasingly expecting solutions that can mitigate this risk. Meanwhile, current approaches for resisting seismic loads with reinforced masonry are not only associated with significant labour costs, but they also limit the range of structural heights for which reinforced masonry is a competitive building solution.Controlled rocking shows promise for addressing all these issues. In a controlled rocking system, selected parts of the structure are permitted to uplift from the foundation in response to seismic loads, and this rocking behaviour is controlled using supplemental energy dissipation and/or post-tensioning.This research project aims to develop a new controlled rocking masonry system that is designed for both constructability and resilience under earthquake loading, to validate this system using large-scale experimental testing, and to train highly qualified personnel in reinforced masonry design and risk mitigation. This grant will support a partnership between McMaster University, the Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA), and the Canada Masonry Design Centre (CMDC), to develop practice-oriented methods for improving public safety and community resilience, while simultaneously enhancing the competitiveness of masonry within the Canadian construction industry.