Behavior of Confined Masonry Walls in Dual Buildings

This paper presents a study on the behavior of dual buildings in seismic areas. The structure analyzed here is composed of a masonry walls core surrounded by reinforced concrete frames. It will be built in Bucharest, Romania. Masonry can be used in seismic areas as infills for framed structures or as bearing walls. Buildings need the shape and rigidity distribution to minimize the effects of torsion. The masonry walls assure an enhanced rigidity to the structure. This dual system is interesting as it associates two different kinds of elements. This system behavior is studied in both elastic and plastic state. Masonry walls have a stiff behavior while the frames are very flexible. The study also focuses on the walls stresses that are monitored as the plastic mechanism develops.