A simplified assessment model of masonry infill piers

Masonry infill piers are panel segments between openings and Reinforced Concrete (RC) columns. Reconnaissance experience shows that piers are significant structural members in low-rise RC buildings. This chapter presents a simplified assessment model of masonry infill piers. The proposed model establishes a triple linear curve to describe a load deformation envelope curve for masonry infill piers. Masonry infill is considered as a non-structural member in low-rise RC building. The construction sequence in the previous tests first used a cast-in-place RC frame, followed by laying the masonry infill. Engineers have known that the seismic behavior of an RC frame with a brick infill can be simulated as the behavior of an RC frame plus the behavior of an equivalent diagonal strut. For a conservative consideration, engineers only model the infill piers on the compressive side assuming it is under a single curvature deflection.