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Scaling unreinforced masonry for reduced-scale seismic testing

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Abstract

When testing multi-storey structures, most testing facilities require the testing of a reduced-scale model. A literature review on tests of scaled masonry structural components revealed that scaling of masonry was rather challenging and often significant differences in stiffness, strength and failure mechanisms between the different sized masonry were reported. This paper addresses the scaling of hollow clay brick masonry with fully mortared head and bed joints. We investigate different choices of scaling brick units and mortar joints. Based on the results of an extensive test programme including standard material tests and quasi-static cyclic tests on masonry walls subjected to horizontal and axial loads, we formulate recommendations for the production of a half-scale model of unreinforced masonry structures. The experimental results show a good match between full-scale and half-scale masonry. We discuss the differences in material properties that remained and compare the force-displacement hystereses obtained for the wall tests.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the two reviewers for their comments that helped improving the manuscript. The authors would also like to thank Morandi Frères SA and in particular Philip Piguet, Switzerland, for the effort put into the production of the small-scale bricks and for the donation of the small- and full-scale bricks. Thanks also to Salvatore Marino for his help during testing of the reduced-scale walls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics Laboratory (EESD), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), GC B2 415, Station 18, 1015 , Lausanne, Switzerland

    S. Petry

  2. Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics Laboratory (EESD), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), GC B2 504, Station 18, 1015 , Lausanne, Switzerland

    K. Beyer

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  1. S. Petry
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Correspondence to K. Beyer.

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Petry, S., Beyer, K. Scaling unreinforced masonry for reduced-scale seismic testing. Bull Earthquake Eng 12, 2557–2581 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-014-9605-1

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