Shake table tests on the two-storey dry-joint stone masonry structures reinforced with timber laces and steel wires

Abstract

During the Nepal Gorkha Mw7.8 earthquake, the two-storey stone masonry buildings experienced the most severe damage among all structural types in the seismically affected areas. However, this type of construction will continue to be used in the vast areas of the Himalayan belt due to the less developed economies and limited access to cement and steel. The experimental verification of different reinforcement techniques applicable in these areas is urgently needed. In this paper, three scaled two-storey stone masonry houses with timber floors were tested on a shake table under various seismic scenarios to verify the effects of reinforcement techniques using timber laces and gabion wires. The seismic performances of the models with and without reinforcement were evaluated and compared through crack pattern development, the structural damage and failure modes, and the changes in dynamic characteristics. The experimental results are presented, analysed and discussed. The un-reinforced two-storey model completely failed at a PGA of 0.4 g; while the model strengthened with timber laces experienced only local failure at a PGA of 0.51 g, and the reinforced model using both timber laces and gabion wires remained intact with limited damage at a PGA of 0.92 g. This research confirmed that the seismic performance of two-storey stone masonry structures could be substantially improved when inexpensive and easy-to-implement reinforcement techniques using local materials were utilized.