Damage forecast for masonry infilled reinforced concrete framed buildings subjected to earthquakes in India

The present study is based on analytical investigation of seismic performance and potential seismic damage of typical masonry infilled reinforced concrete (R/C) framed buildings due to earthquakes in India, using rational nonlinear modelling and displacement-based analysis techniques. The study focuses on the structural configurations of masonry infilled frames that are commonly constructed in urban India and have been observed to be particularly vulnerable to earthquakes recorded in the Indian subcontinent, such as those in which the infill panels are interrupted at the ground level, thus resulting in an open ('soft' and/or 'weak') storey at that level. The results of nonlinear dynamic analysis are compared with the seismic demands predicted by the simpler nonlinear static force–displacement (pushover) analysis.