Author Identifier

Bruna Kirch Nienkotter Rocha

https://0000-0003-2844-7288

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Master of Engineering Science

School

School of Engineering

First Supervisor

Dr Alireza Mohyeddin

Second Supervisor

Associate Professor Sanjay Kumar Shukla

Abstract

Reinforced concrete frames infilled with unreinforced masonry are commonly used in structures worldwide. The interaction between the frame and the infill panel is usually ignored in engineering practice, and the masonry infill is not considered as a structural element. However, observations made after the occurrence of strong earthquakes have shown that the bare frame and infill-frame behave differently when subjected to in-plane lateral loads. Extensive research has been conducted on the behaviour of infill-frames when laterally loaded. This research focuses on the analysis of infill-frames using the equivalent strut modelling method, whereby an infill-frame is simplified, and the infill panel is replaced by one or more compressive strut elements. A large number of strut models have been proposed in the literature, but recent studies have demonstrated that it is not possible to apply one strut model to all infill-frame structures. It has been found that changing the properties of an infill-frame can also change the geometric properties of struts, namely width, location and number of struts in an equivalent strut model. For this reason, recent studies have proposed a case-specific strut modelling approach. In the current study, a macro script available in the literature that can be used to generate a detailed finite element (FE) model has been applied to construct and analyse a number of infill-frames with different material and geometric properties. Sensitivity analyses on some of these infill-frames have also been conducted by varying the material properties of the infill, and the amount and distribution of vertical loads on the frame. The results of detailed FE analyses, more specifically contours of the compressive principal stresses, have been used to define the geometric properties of the struts of case-specific strut models for each of the infill-frames. Equivalent strut models were then analysed and compared. Further, the proposed strut models were applied to other infill-frames selected for this study; two strut models from the literature were also applied to these infill-frames. It was concluded that the geometric properties of, and the vertical load on an infill-frame can be related to the geometric properties of its equivalent strut model. In contrast, a variation of up to 25% in the masonry material properties did not have a significant effect on the strut properties. It was shown that casespecific strut modelling is a versatile and generic technique that can adequately replicate the highly nonlinear behaviour of infill-frames regardless of their geometric or material properties. By expanding the current research, it is hoped that a rigorous classification of infill-frames and their relevant equivalent strut models can be developed to assist structural engineers in their everyday design tasks.

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