Quasi-static cyclic tests and numerical study of seismic performance of confined masonry walls reinforced with horizontal steel bars

Although multiple experimental investigations have been performed to characterize the shearing behavior of confined masonry walls that are reinforced with horizontal steel bars, still a significant blank for improvement in terms of the number of layers and the placement of horizontal steel bars in the wall. In order to contribute to the knowledge of the in-plane response of confined masonry walls, this paper presents a quasi-static cyclic tests and a numerical simulation model to study the behavior of these walls under cyclic shear loads. Numerical results are validated by comparison with experimental results of walls with bed-joint reinforcement. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the numerical simulation model is suitable for simulating the lateral response of confined masonry walls, including crack patterns, ductility, and stiffness observed during experimental tests. The ductility and the lateral deformation of the wall are significantly improved after increasing the number of layers of horizontal steel bars layers. However, there are minimal effects on the initial stiffness by setting horizontal reinforcement bars in the wall. The horizontal steel bar at 1/3-2/3 height of the wall can effectively reduce the lateral deformation and improve the ductility of the wall.