Cyclic behaviour of hinged steel frames enhanced by masonry columns and/or infill walls with/without CFRP.

This paper investigates the in-plane seismic behaviour of hinged steel frames that are enhanced with masonry columns and/or infilled walls. First, eight half-scaled hinged steel frame specimens were constructed according to the realistic structural system of Bund 18, which is a historical building in Shanghai, China. Then, cyclic loads were exerted on these frames. The test results indicated that the seismic behaviours of the hinged steel frames can be significantly improved with the use of masonry columns and/or infilled masonry walls as well as with proper strengthening due to carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. A simplified model was developed to simulate the seismic behaviours of these frames. In this model, infilled walls and CFRP sheets were replaced by diagonal struts, and the steel members and their surrounding elements were treated as composite members. Finally, this model was verified by experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]