Improving the earthquake behaviour of structures by using mortarless blocks

In this study, the effect of mortarless blocks to a reinforced concrete frame was investigated through numerical and experimental analysis by comparing the behaviour with traditional frames with and without wall. Dry stacked walls increase the energy dissipation of frames by acting as frictional energy dissipation devices, without increasing the stiffness of frame like a traditional wall and many studies exist about this. In this study, also, the effect of the joint between wall and frame was investigated by using flexible and stiff joint. For stiff joint mortar was used, and for flexible joint, a polyurethane based injection material was used. In the experimental analysis, it's seen that dry stacked masonry and using flexible joint increases the maximum load carried, when compared with the frame without wall. The frame with dry stacked masonry infill and flexible joint, carried %3 more lateral load when compared with frame without wall. Frames with dry stack masonry infill walls have higher energy consumption after the maximum lateral load, when compared with traditional frames with and without wall. In the traditional frame wih infill wall, the wall was completely demolished during loading, and in contrast, minimum damage was observed in the frames with dry stack masonry infill and using flexible joint prevented the segregation between wall and frame and nearly no damage was observed in the wall. This was convenient with previous studies that state flexible joint reduces the stress concentrations. In the ABAQUS analysis in which the RC frames were pushed 60mm, it was concluded that using mortarless masonry increases the load carried by frame when compared with bare frame by %14 and decreased the damage in the wall by decreasing the stress concentrations in the region between wall and frame. When compared with the reinforced concrete frame without walls, the energy dissipation of dry stacked masonry infilled frame is higher. Besides these, dry stack masonry infill walls don't increase the stiffness of the frame, and it's well known that by increasing the period of structures, earthquake forces will be lower.