Shake-table testing of a 1:5 reduced-scale five-story masonry-infilled reinforced concrete frame structure

This paper presents a shaking table test carried out on a 1:5 reduced-scale five-story masonry-infilled reinforced concrete (RC) frame model. Multi-level simulated earthquake motions with increasing shaking severity were used as input to deform the model structure from an elastic to a near-collapse state. The dynamic characteristics, acceleration response, displacement response, damage state, energy dissipation behavior and stiffness degradation of each story were summarized for each stage. The tests indicate that cracks developed at the masonry-frame interface during minor shaking that caused infill to separate from the frame; however, its in-plane load bearing capacity was maintained. Moreover, the infill was able to resist infrequent earthquakes without causing instability or collapse of the structure. Thus, it is rational to consider masonry infill as a structural element in the seismic design of structures. Moreover, the story drift ratio of 1/400 can be regarded as the performance criterion for controlling frame structure cracking, and the story drift ratio of 1/100 can be regarded as the performance criterion for the peak bearing capacity of a frame structure. The test results could provide a reference not only for the seismic appraisal of existing buildings, but also for the seismic design of new buildings.