Abstract
A research project at ETH Zurich on the seismic behavior of masonry wallettes with two different soft-layer membranes (extruded elastomer and rubber granulate) placed in the bed joints is underway. The main goals of the research project are to investigate the influence of the soft layer on masonry behavior under staticcyclic shear, to assess the shear mechanical properties of different bearing layers, and to establish if and how it modifies the lateral load resistance mechanism of the wall. The preliminary analysis of the results of tests on seven wallettes show that, due to prevalently sliding failure, especially with built-in rubber granulate layer considerable energy dissipation and quasi ductile behavior, i.e. a large deformation capacity could be expected in actual masonry structures with soft layer placed in the bed joints. Such behavior would be desirable for enhanced seismic performance.
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