Study on seismic performance of red brick walls vs. Autoclaved Aerated concrete block walls

Abstract

Bricks are usually the building blocks of a structure’s wall. In India, the construction of buildings using red bricks is commonly practised, which causes a heavy load on the structure, leading to seismic failure. The popularity of red bricks is because of its durability, low-cost, convenience and feasibility, however, due to the growing needs, the demand for red bricks has been increased rapidly. To match this demand, Fertile lands are to be sacrificed which it cannot be done on large scales. To add on, the demand for skilled labour and the cost of fuel for klin also increases, these all factors together makes the red bricks costlier. Alternatives for bricks were researched, which This lead to Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC),The lightweight rigid materials present in the AAC blocks reduce the self-weight of the building structure. AAC blocks are eco-friendly, lightweight, and all-weather construction materials that are designed to offer superior performance and durability. They are almost equivalent to, nine times the size of traditional red brick and also these provide better compressive strength. Out of all the labour demand is very minimal and workability is very high. so here we compare the analysis of the seismic performance of Red brick walls VS Autoclaved Aerated Concrete block walls. Here we considered an apartment building of G + 5 storeys in seismic zone III (Chennai). The impact of AAC blocks on seismic responses of RC framed structures is analysed by using the ETABS software. The primary goal is to compare the results of Storey displacement in both axis, Maximum base shear and storey drift under the seismic conditions and how AAC blocks are adequate when compared to conventional red bricks.