ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the experimental work developed at the University of Minho for validation of the solution proposed for masonry infills. It discusses same results obtained for in-plane and out-of-plane cyclic testing carried out on a new solution defined to improve masonry infilled Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames. The chapter focuses on the presentation of a new constructive system for masonry infill walls in Portugal in order to improve the seismic performance of masonry infill walls. The most common pathologies are the separation between masonry panels and structural elements, diagonal cracking, and out-of-plane partial or total collapse. Masonry walls are a common solution for enclosures walls in many countries in southern and central Europe, mainly in RC buildings, leading to the need of production of thousands of masonry units annually. The connection of the masonry infill to the concrete columns is made through the application of mortar, similar to the one used for the bed joints, at each row of units.
