Improving seismic capacity of dry stacked interlocking masonry structure through confinement at corners

Interlocking dry stacked masonry is an emerging building material and has a project wining future due to its sustainable and affordable housing aspects. The aim of this research work is to study the improvement in seismic parameters of self-interlocking mortarless masonry by the provision of confinement at the corners. To fulfill the aim, a full-scale structure was fabricated by using locally prepared self-interlocking stabilized earth blocks and evaluated by testing through quasi-static test. Damaged patterns and different seismic parameters have been assessed, which include lateral load carrying capacity, energy dissipation, displacement ductility, structural stiffness, response modification factor and performance levels. On the basis of test data, the corners confinement of dry stacked masonry enhanced the ultimate lateral load and drift capacity by 64% and 288% respectively.

Automated summary

The aim of this study is to improve the seismic parameters of self-interlocking mortarless masonry by providing confinement at the corners. A full-scale structure was fabricated using locally prepared self-interlocking stabilized earth blocks and evaluated through quasi-static test. The research assessed damaged patterns and different seismic parameters, including lateral load carrying capacity, energy dissipation, displacement ductility, structural stiffness, response modification factor, and performance levels. Based on the test data, the corners confinement of dry stacked masonry enhanced the ultimate lateral load and drift capacity by 64% and 288% respectively.