Seismic Behavior of Thin-Bed Layered Unreinforced Clay Masonry Shear Walls Including Soundproofing Elements

According to the current standards, unreinforced masonry may only be used in regions of low seismicity as the material for the lateral-load resisting system. This requirement may be too safe-sided and leading to not cost-effective solutions for moderately seismic regions. This chapter presents overview of experimental results from shake table tests on unreinforced masonry shear walls carried out in the EQUALS Laboratory of Bristol University, in order to assess, and possibly enhance, the current seismic design rules. The study also includes as additional parameter the presence of soundproofing devices required in buildings with numerous dwellings, in order to achieve the acoustic isolation recommended by recent standards. In practice the required level of acoustic isolation is obtained by locating horizontal rubber layers in the wall. These layers are likely to influence significantly the dynamic response of the wall and hence of the whole structure under seismic actions. Tests are performed on walls realized with masonry units and construction methods typical of North-Western Europe.