Performance-Based Design of Masonry and Masonry Veneer

Researchers at UT Austin, Washington State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and the University of California at San Diego conducted a coordinated experimental and analytical study, intended to investigate the seismic performance of wood-stud construction with clay masonry veneer, and of reinforced concrete masonry construction with clay masonry veneer, designed according to current building codes.

Wood-stud wall segments with clay masonry veneer were tested quasi-statically out-of-plane and in-plane; identical segments were tested on a shaking table; and a full-scale, one-story structure was tested on a shaking table. With one exception, the behavior of the veneer was satisfactory up to levels of shaking consistent with the design level earthquake. That exception was related to the relatively low pullout strength in wet wood of the conventional nails used to attach the veneer connectors to the wood-stud wall. Code changes have been implemented to require the use of higher-capacity fasteners for such applications. The wood-stud structure itself did not collapse under levels of shaking consistent with the maximum considered earthquake.

Reinforced concrete masonry wall segments with clay masonry veneer were tested quasi-statically out-of-plane and in-plane; identical segments were tested on a shaking table; and a full-scale, one-story structure was tested on a shaking table. Behavior was satisfactory up to levels of shaking well in excess of the maximum considered earthquake.

For both the wood-stud specimen and the reinforced masonry specimen, behavior of the full-scale structure on the shaking table was consistent with the results of quasi-static and shaking-table testing of wall segments representing parts of the structure. Behavior of quasi-static and shaking-table specimens was reasonably well predicted by analytical models based on OpenSEES.