Cyclic quasi-static in-plane and dynamic shake table out-of-plane tests on masonry infills

Masonry infills are commonly integrated into reinforced concrete (RC) and steel-framed buildings, but despite usually being regarded as non-structural, they are vulnerable to seismic actions. While extensive research has been conducted on their seismic behaviour, further investigation into their dynamic response is necessary. Particularly, there is ongoing debate regarding the impact of in-plane damage on the out-of-plane dynamic behaviour of weak masonry infills. To address this issue, an experimental campaign was carried out at the Eucentre Foundation, focusing on horizontal hollowed clay masonry infills, each 12 cm thick. These infills were installed within a steel-concrete frame. The experimental campaign comprised in-plane tests and dynamic out-of-plane tests conducted on a shaking table until infill collapse. The out-of-plane tests were performed with and without previous in-plane loading. The objective was to analyse the infills' response in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions, along with their interaction, by focusing on the out-of-plane dynamic response. The experiments yielded significant findings, including insights into damage propagation and failure mechanisms, in-plane force-displacement relationships, and out-of-plane acceleration and displacement profiles.