seismic performance assessment of masonry infilled steel structures

the effects of masonry infills on the seismic performance of a multi-story steel frame building were investigated through nonlinear static and dynamic analyses . Three variants of masonry infills aimed at simulating weak , intermediate and strong infill panels and the presence of masonry openings were considered in the numerical analyses strong masonry infills significantly contributed to the lateral stiffness and load resistance of the steel structure but a sudden decrease of strength was observed after the failure of infills. this phenomenon was less evident in presence of openings . the results of the nonlinear dynamic analyses confirmed the satisfactory performance of masonry infilled steel structures under the design earthquake intensity. the presence and the mechanical properties of the infills affected the distribution of damage throughout the structure.