Experimental investigation of the effect of cavity location and ratio of filling walls on behavior in reinforced concrete frames

Infill walls, which are generally used to divide interior spaces and areas, are also widely used in reinforced concrete structures to provide heat and sound insulation. Due to the low bearing capacity of infill walls, they are considered as non-structural elements and are considered as fixed loads. However, studies have shown that infill walls significantly affect the building behavior. In infill walls, door and window openings must be left for ventilation and lighting requirements. In this case, the frame behavior will also change. For this reason, in this study, the structural behavior of reinforced concrete frames with aerated concrete infill walls which have window openings of different sizes and without gaps, were experimentally investigated. For this purpose, 5 reinforced concrete frames with infill walls were produced. The loading protocol recommended in FEMA 461 was applied to the in-filled reinforced concrete frames. By using the findings obtained from the experiments, the bearing capacities, energy dissipation capacities and failure patterns of the in-filled wall frames were determined. The findings revealed that the shape and position of the infill wall opening significantly changed the frame behavior.