SKIN REINFORCEMENT FOR MASONRY INFILL WALLS SUBJECTED TO CYCLIC LOADING

Observations from past earthquakes have shown that the major loss has been incurred due to the failure of masonry walls. The behaviour of masonry infill wall system is complex due to different face interaction between bricks, mortar and concrete frame. To address this issue, skin reinforcement has been provided on the surface to prevent the falling of the masonry walls. For the study, three different types of meshes, namely, welded mesh, chicken mesh and sieve mesh were taken. The elongation of the Chicken mesh was 65% indicating that it has more ductility, a property appropriate for enhancing the performance of the walls subjected to lateral forces. Cyclic load tests on bare frame, frame without mesh and frame with mesh, demonstrated a comprehensible increase in the stiffness, load carrying capacity and energy dissipation when chicken mesh was incorporated in the wall.