Experimental study and modeling of masonry-infilled concrete frames with and without CFRP jacketing

Most existing concrete structures in Taiwan are considered nonductile due, to insufficient transverse reinforcement and poor detailing of frame elements. Such features are fairly typical for buildings constructed prior to 1997, at which time the local building code was revised based on ACI 318-95. Among these structures, many contain perimeter or partition walls made of concrete or clay brick for architectural purposes. These walls, though treated as non-structural components in common design practice, could affect the structural behavior of the buildings during an earthquake. To study the behavior of such structures under seismic load, experiments were conducted on concrete frames of various configurations to show the force-deformation relationships, damage patterns, and other characteristics of the frames. For further interest, similar units with columns jacketed by carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymer (CFRP) were also tested to illustrate the effectiveness of this technique in the retrofit of concrete frames.