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Tu, Yi-Hsuan1; Lin, Yu-Syuan2; Tsai, Min-Shin3 and Chiou, Tsung-Chih4

1 Associate Professor, National Cheng Kung University, Department of Architecture, 701 Tainan, Taiwan, yhtu@mail.ncku.edu.tw
2 Master of Science, National Cheng Kung University, Department of Architecture, 701 Tainan, Taiwan, michelle8040@hotmail.com
3 Master of Science, National Cheng Kung University, Department of Architecture, 701 Tainan, Taiwan, starsbook@hotmail.com
4 Associate Researcher, National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering, 106 Taipei, Taiwan, tcchiou@ncree.narl.org.tw

ABSTRACT
In-plane static loading tests were performed to study the behavior of masonry panels with eccentric openings. This type of masonry panels is commonly placed at the weak axis of typical low-rise RC street-buildings. Four full-sized specimens were designed with two test factors: the construction type and the presence of openings. Confined and in-filled masonry panels were surrounded by identical RC frames with a non-ductile design to simulate old buildings. A constant vertical force was applied to the specimens during testing. A cyclic lateral load with controlled displacement was applied in a double-curvature manner. The test results showed that the cracking pattern of the masonry panels was affected by the confining condition. Diagonal cracks appeared in the specimens with no openings. In the specimens with openings, cracks occurred along the column-panel interface, and the panels slid due to the lack of confinement around the openings. The type of construction affected the failure mode. The maximum strengths of the confined and in-filled masonry specimens were governed by diagonal tension and bedjoint sliding failure, respectively. The damage behavior of the columns was affected by both the construction type and the openings. Shear failure occurred at the columns in the two specimens without openings and at the column adjacent to the confined masonry panel with openings. The column adjacent to the in-filled masonry panel with openings showed flexural behavior similar to that of the independent columns. The stiffness and strength of the specimens increased, and the deformation capacity decreased when the masonry panels had better confinement.

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