Innovative solution for seismic-resistant masonry infills with sliding joints: in-plane experimental performance

Within the European FP7 Project “INSYSME”, a new seismic-resistant clay masonry infill system was conceived with the purpose of controlling damage in the masonry and reducing detrimental effects of the panel-frame interaction, through a combined use of sliding joints inserted in the masonry and deformable joints at the wall-frame interface. Although the idea behind the proposed solution stems from principles already implemented in the past, the originality of this work lies in the innovative development of the materials and of the construction details of the components. In order to assess the seismic performance of this new system, in-plane cyclic tests on one-storey one-bay RC frames with two different infill configurations (one solid and one with a central opening) have been performed within the framework of a wider experimental campaign and are discussed here. These in-plane test results have proved the ability of the proposed solution in limiting the level of damage along with the attainment of a wide margin towards the life safety requirements in comparison with traditional infill systems. Although design and construction optimization of the solution still needs to be further implemented, the results of the in-plane tests appear very promising about its use as an efficient seismic resistant non-structural component in RC buildings.