Skip to main content

Strength, stiffness and cyclic deformation capacity of RC frames converted into walls by infilling with RC

Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering volume 14, pages 769–803 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

In seismic retrofitting of concrete buildings, frame bays are converted into reinforced concrete (RC) walls by infilling the space between the frame members with RC of a thickness of not more than their width. The cyclic behavior of the resulting wall depends on the connection between the RC infill and the surrounding RC members. The paper uses the results from 56 cyclic tests on such composite walls to express their properties in terms of the geometry, the reinforcement and the connection. Properties addressed are: (a) the yield moment at the story base; (b) the secant-to-yield-point stiffness over the shear span of the wall in a story; (c) the deflection at flexural failure in cyclic loading; (d) the cyclic shear resistance, including a sliding shear failure mode. Separate models are given for squat walls failing in shear and for those where the top of the column shears-off. The proposals are modifications of models developed in the past for monolithic RC walls from several hundred cyclic tests; blind application of these latter models as though the walls were monolithic gives, in general, unsafe predictions. By contrast, the diagonal compression strut approach in ASCE41-06 is safe-sided, but gives unacceptably large prediction scatter.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

References

  • Altin S, Ersoy U, Tankut T (1992) Hysteretic response of reinforced-concrete infilled frames. ASCE J Struct Eng 118(8):2133–2150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altin S, Anil O, Kara E (2008) Strengthening of RC nonductile frames with RC infills: an experimental study. Cem Concr Compos 30:612–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2007) Seismic rehabilitation of existing buildings. ASCE Standard ASCE/SEI 41-06, Reston, VA

  • Anil O, Altin S (2007) An experimental study on reinforced concrete partially infilled frames. Eng Struct 29:449–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aoyama H, Kato D, Katsumata H, Hosokawa Y (1984) Strength and behavior of postcast shear walls for strengthening of existing reinforced concrete buildings. In: Proceedings of 8th world conference on earthquake engineering, San Francisco, pp 485–492

  • Biskinis D, Fardis MN (2010a) Deformations at flexural yielding of members with continuous or lap-spliced bars. Struct Concr 11(3):127–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Biskinis D, Fardis MN (2010b) Flexure-controlled ultimate deformations of members with continuous or lap-spliced bars. Struct Concr 11(2):93–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biskinis D, Roupakias G, Fardis MN (2004) Degradation of shear strength of RC members with inelastic cyclic displacements. ACI Struct J 101(6):773–783

    Google Scholar 

  • Canbay E, Ersoy U, Ozcebe G (2003) Contribution of reinforced concrete infills to seismic behavior of structural systems. ACI Struct J 100(5):637–643

    Google Scholar 

  • CEN (2005) European Standard EN1998-3:2005: Eurocode 8: design of structures for earthquake resistance. Part 3: Assessment and retrofitting of buildings. Comite Europeen de Normalisation, Brussels

  • Erdem I, Akyuz U, Ersoy U, Ozcebe G (2004) Experimental and analytical studies on the strengthening of RC frames. In: Proceedings of 13th world conference on earthquake engineering, Vancouver, paper #673

  • Erdem I, Akyuz U, Ersoy U, Ozcebe G (2006) An experimental study of two different strengthening techniques for RC frames. Eng Struct 28:1843–1851

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fardis MN, Negro P (2005) SPEAR: seismic performance assessment and rehabilitation. In: Proceedings of the international workshop, Ispra, Italy. Office of Official Publications of the European Union, Luxembourg. ISBN:92-894-9923-0

  • Fardis MN, Schetakis A, Strepelias E (2013) RC buildings retrofitted by converting frame bays into RC walls. Bull Earthq Eng 11(5):1541–1561

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grammatikou S, Biskinis D, Fardis MN (2015) Strength, deformation capacity and failure modes of RC walls under cyclic loading. Bull Earthq Eng 13(11):3277–3300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulec CK, Whittaker AS (2011) Empirical equations for peak shear strength of low aspect ratio reinforced concrete walls. ACI Struct J 108(1):80–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi T, Niwa H, Fukuhara M (1980) The strengthening methods of the existing reinforced concrete buildings. In: Proceedings of 7th world conference on earthquake engineering, Istanbul, pp 89–96

  • Higashi Y, Endo T, Ohkubo M, Shimizu Y (1980) Experimental study on strengthening reinforced concrete structure by adding shear wall. In: Proceedings of 7th world conference on earthquake engineering, Istanbul, pp 173–180

  • Higashi Y, Endo T, Shimizu Y (1984) Experimental studies on retrofitting of reinforced concrete building frames. In: Proceedings of 8th world conference on earthquake engineering, San Francisco, pp 477–484

  • Kahn LF, Hanson RD (1979) Infilled walls for earthquake strengthening. ASCE J Struct Eng 105(ST2):283–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanata K, Nakamura T, Maezawa S, Kikuchi K, Fujimura T, Suzuki Y (2005) Seismic retrofit systems for RC buildings using steel framework or RC shear wall without dowel anchors. In: Symposium on earthquake engineering, 10th anniversary of Kobe Earthquake, Kobe

  • Kara ME, Altin S (2006) Behavior of reinforced concrete frames with reinforced concrete partial infills. ACI Struct J 103(5):701–709

    Google Scholar 

  • Mainstone RJ (1971) On the stiffnesses and strengths of infilled frames. In: Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers v 7360s

  • Mander JB, Priestley MJN, Park R (1988) Theoretical stress–strain model for confined concrete. ASCE J Struct Eng 114(8):1804–1826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moretti M, Papatheocharis T, Perdikaris P (2014) Design of reinforced concrete infilled frames. ASCE J Struct Eng 140(9):04014062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohki K, Bessho S (1980) Experimental investigation on aseismic strengthening for existing reinforced concrete frames. In: Proceedings of 7th world conference on earthquake engineering, Istanbul, pp 517–524

  • Pulido C, Saiidi MS, Sanders D, Itani A, El-Azazy S (2004) Seismic performance of two-column bents—Part II: Retrofit with infill walls. ACI Struct J 101(5):642–649

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheikh SA, Uzumeri SM (1982) Analytical model for concrete confinement in tied columns. ASCE J Struct Eng 108(ST12):2703–2722

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonuvar M, Ozcebe G, Ersoy U (2004) Rehabilitation of reinforced concrete frames with reinforced concrete infills. ACI Struct J 101(4):494–500

    Google Scholar 

  • Strepelias E, Palios X, Bousias SN, Fardis MN (2014) Experimental investigation of concrete frames infilled with RC for seismic rehabilitation. ASCE J Struct Eng 140(1):04013033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sugano S, Fujimura M (1980) Aseismic strengthening of existing reinforced concrete buildings. In: Proceedings of 7th world conference on earthquake engineering, Istanbul, pp 449–458

  • Turk M, Ersoy U, Ozcebe G (2003) Retrofitting of reinforced concrete frames with reinforced concrete infills walls. In: Proceedings of fib symposium, Athens

Download references

Acknowledgments

The research leading to these results receives funding from the General Secretariat for Research and Technology under Grant ERC-12 of the Operational Program “Education and lifelong learning”, co-funded by the European Union (European Social Fund) and national resources.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Patras, Patras, Greece

    Dionysis Biskinis, Michael N. Fardis & Apostolos Psaros-Andriopoulos

Authors
  1. Dionysis Biskinis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael N. Fardis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Apostolos Psaros-Andriopoulos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael N. Fardis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Biskinis, D., Fardis, M.N. & Psaros-Andriopoulos, A. Strength, stiffness and cyclic deformation capacity of RC frames converted into walls by infilling with RC. Bull Earthquake Eng 14, 769–803 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-015-9847-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-015-9847-6

Keywords

  • Concrete walls
  • Deformation capacity
  • RC infills
  • RC walls
  • Seismic rehabilitation
  • Seismic retrofitting
  • Shear resistance
  • Shear sliding
  • Stiffness
  • Ultimate deformation