ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the outcomes of experimental shake table tests carried out with the main objective of characterizing the dynamic behaviour of high strength clay masonry sub-structures with glued horizontal joints and empty vertical joints subjected to seismic action. The geometries of the specimens are defined such that the effects of the torsion, the influence of the gravity loading configuration and the consequences of the connection method can be studied. Consequently, tests on single-storey unreinforced masonry frames with T- or L-shaped piers have been carried out in the Earthquake and Large Structures Laboratory at the University of Bristol. The unreinforced masonry frames exhibit a significant rocking behaviour, especially for the highest acceleration input, involving a progressive degradation of the mortar base joint. The test specimens consist in two masonry frames with respectively T- or L-shaped piers connected by a reinforced concrete lintel and a prefabricated concrete slab. Such configurations are seen as representative of common substructures observed in real dwellings.
