Experimental investigation of effect of section configuration on seismic performance of an innovative integrated concrete masonry wall system

In this study, an innovative integrated concrete masonry wall (ICMW) system is proposed to improve the seismic behavior of infill masonry in reinforced masonry structures. The ICMW system consists of a load-bearing component comprising two reinforced concrete masonry walls and a partition component comprising one ungrouted masonry wall and autoclaved aerated concrete blocks. Four ICMW specimens were designed for cyclic loading test and the effects of the section type of the load-bearing component and infill on the seismic performance of the specimens were investigated. An obvious pinching effect was observed on the load-displacement curves of all specimens. Different flexural and shear failure modes occurred in the specimens due to the section type of the load-bearing components, whereas the infill heightened the crack propagation. The results indicated that the stiffness degradation, displacement ductility, energy dissipation, and equivalent viscous damping ratio of the specimens were obviously influenced by the section type owing to different failure modes. Moreover, it was observed that the infill had a beneficial influence on the ductility coefficient of the specimens because of its timely separation. Based on these results, it is concluded that the ICMW is an effective construction system in which the partition component participates in the specimen loading process at the initial stage and separates from the specimen to protect it and prevent out-of-plane damage at the final stage.