Time-History Analyses on the Effect of Partial Infill Walls on the Seismic Response of a Reinforced Concrete Frame Structure

Abstract

Time-history analysis (THA) is based on direct step-by-step integration of the equation of motion in time domain considering as input either the recorded accelerograms of real or artificially generated earthquakes. Numerical simulations are sensitive in terms of material properties, geometry, boundary conditions and applied loading scenarios correct definition. Therefore, additional care is required in the pre-processing stage of the analysis when the numerical model is defined. Infill walls play an important role on the seismic behaviour of structures during earthquakes. The response of the structure to seismic action changes due to the presence of the infill walls. The paper presents the results obtained by means of THA on the effect of partial infill walls on the seismic response of a scaled-down RC frame structure subjected to four consecutive uniaxial seismic motions. The parameters of the research were the presence of the partial infill wall and the thickness of the wall. The obtained results are discussed from the point of view of maximum lateral displacements and response spectra expressed in terms of accelerations. The results contribute towards the setting up of the subsequent shake table tests of scaled-down RC frame models with different configurations that would validate and help calibrate the numerical model.