Strenthening of reinforced concrete frames with infilled brick walls by partially reinforced concrete jacketing

The important part of our country's lands is found on the first degree of earthquake sash and it frequently faces high scale of earthquakes. To build up new constructions instead of damaged ones necessitates more money and time; therefore it is important that not only building up new constructions but also strengthening existing ones. This shows that strengthening existing buildings is crucial subject which needs much more working on it. It is important to make a realistic model of structural supporting system. In such modellings, the effects of masonry walls on the system are generally neglected. In this study, such effects are considered in the case of a structure of seven stories and five spans. The structural performances are assessed by FEMA 356 Displacement Coefficient Method using SAP2000 Ver. 10. The Masonry walls are modeled as diagonal members according to the new Turkish Earthquake Codes. The walls strengthened by reinforced concrete layers with steel-mesh inside are evaluated using nonlinear analysis according to the earthquake codes. The other strengthening methods such as strengthening with steel bars, FRP and shear wall are also considered. The performance of reinforced concrete layers with steel-mesh inside method is evaluated as to the those of other methods. The contributions of masonry walls and strengthened walls are assessed. In this study, the materials and methods which are used for repairing the damages of structures are examined. A study is carried on to the find the most useful of the strengthening methods. More it is concluded that the walls are not only partitioning elements but also important supporting elements and it is an economical as well as effective structural strengthening method to strengthen the buildings. Keywords: Reinforced concrete frame, masonry wall, strengthening, capacity curve, performance