Experimental and Analytical Evaluation of the Seismic Behavior of Masonry Walls

Masonry non-engineered buildings suffer major failure in earthquakes, due to their poor lateral strength. Problem with these buildings are usually associated with their poor understanding of their behavior and more so lack of a well defined methodology for their analysis. Many methods such as distinct element, finite element, equivalent frame model and finally code regulations are used for their constructions but each having their shortcomings. In this paper, the results of three full scale tests of masonry walls and ways of loading and test set up is presented for better understanding of the behavior. Then, by using equivalent frame methodology these results are calibrated, and are compared with code regulations which have shown good agreements meaning the benefits of equivalent method. Analysis of both static and dynamic have been applied and results are obtained. In all, very good agreements are provided by equivalent frame methodology for modeling these walls.