Out-of-Plane Behaviour of Brick Masonry Infilled Walls with Openings Stiffened with FRP Strips in Reinforced Concrete Frames

In this paper, the out-of-plane behaviour of 30 models including two types of brick masonry walls with openings of 6000×3000×300 mm3 and 3000×3000×300 mm3 in two cases of unstiffened and stiffened with FRP strips under cyclic loading has been studied. The width, height and location of the openings have been the variables. A non-linear behaviour has been assumed for the materials and the finite element code ANSYS has been used for analysis. Obtained results indicate that the existence of the opening causes the 3 m wall to crack earlier than the 6 m wall. In 3 m walls, by approaching the opening to the upper corner of the wall the maximum displacement at cracking decreases and this maximum value increases by stiffening the opening. But in 6 m walls with an opening, the effect of the location and dimensions of the opening on this maximum displacement is less. In 3 m walls, by increasing the dimensions of the opening or decreasing its distance from the wall top corner the dissipated energy decreases. This value increases by stiffening the opening. But in 6 m walls, the dissipated energy is less dependent on the opening, although stiffening by FRP strips increases the dissipated energy with respect to unstiffened walls.