Performance of Confined Masonry in Seismic Zones

Abstract: Confined masonry is found to be a better alternative for sustainable housing in seismic-prone regions of India. This paper presents a comprehensive review comparing the seismic performance and construction methods of confined and unreinforced masonry walls. Confined masonry construction is a viable alternative for safe and economical construction in seismic areas and this paper discusses various aspects of it. Also presents a review of the design and construction guidelines for confined masonry buildings which are developed by the Confined Masonry Network. This review is to analyze and compare the earthquake resistance of confined masonry walls and distribution methodology for seismic design forces to different members of confined masonry like tie-columns, which add to structural strength. The review also provides the ductile behavior of confined masonry buildings in seismic areas. This paper presents a review of the test results which are carried out to study the seismic behavior of confined walls constructed from a single wythe of masonry units and the performance of concrete tie-beams and tie-columns and to develop a method for modeling the seismic behavior of confined masonry walls of trilinear models also.

Keywords: confined masonry, seismic behavior, confined walls, tie-column, masonry wall, reinforced masonry, brick wall ductility, seismic design