LAUSR

Abstract Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) walls are commonly used as infill walls in reinforced concrete frames. Thermal properties of infill walls in cold regions can be improved by bonding additional insulation panels. In this study, eight half-scale, one-bay, one-story reinforced concrete frames with insulated AAC infill walls were tested under cyclic increasing in-plane (IP) displacement excursions to simulate earthquake demands. Two different methods of insulation arrangements were studied by using mineral-based cementitious materials. In addition to in-plane loading, out-of-plane (OOP) and combined in-plane and out-of-plane (IP + OOP) tests were conducted under constant axial load and increasing cyclic displacement excursions. It was observed that insulated AAC infill walls had limited deformation capacity with premature failure of the insulation plates. The observed damage limits of the insulated AAC infills were compared with the codes' drift ratio limits. It was concluded that such walls should be classified as fragile components with limited drift capacity.