LAUSR

Abstract The main purpose of this study is to examine the behavior of the brick masonry and infill walls under cyclic horizontal loads, irrespective of reinforced concrete frames. For this purpose, the test walls, which are produced as non-plastered (plane), two side plastered and two side plastered and strengthened with zinc coated steel wire mesh by using vertical and horizontal hollow brick walls were tested in a rigid hinged steel loading frame under lateral cyclic loading. The findings were evaluated in terms of load carrying capacity, ductility and energy dissipation capacities. The tests carried out showed that the expected increases were provided any type of plastered walls in terms of stiffness with respect to the reference non-plastered walls. Besides this, wired mesh used in plastered walls increased significantly the ductility and consequently the energy dissipation capacity of the walls by maintaining wall integrity in an advanced stage of the loading. Also, both hollow brick and vertical brick infill walls strengthening with wired mesh increase load carrying capacity of the wall test specimens. Load carrying and energy dissipation capacities of wire meshed specimens almost five times more than those of plane test walls.