The Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada in conjunction with Brigham Young University devised a masonry prism testing scheme to aid in the determination of whether prisms constructed with grouts possessing high levels of supplemental cementitious materials could meet minimum masonry compressive strength requirements. ASTM standards, identical to that of concrete, place restrictions on quantities, by weight, of supplemental materials that can replace ordinary Portland cement. For an all fly ash replacement, up to 40% of Portland cement can be replaced while up to 70% can be replaced by a fly ash-slag combination. Research is focused on class F fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag replacing Portland cement in larger quantities. Manufacturing grouts with increasing incremental amounts help to establish higher use limitations associated specifically with masonry grout. Masonry prisms, concrete masonry units, type M mortar, and variations of grout were tested for their respective compressive strengths at age intervals of 14, 28, 42, 56, and 90 days. Grouts were designed to support the discussion of whether non-traditional grouts can achieve acceptable masonry compressive strength in prisms while not possessing adequate grout compressive strength. The control grout consisted of one mix design containing a cementitious materials content of 100% Portland cement. Three grouts replaced Portland cement with fly ash and three grouts replaced Portland cement with a fly ash-slag combination without modifying the cementitious material weight contribution. Class F fly ash replaced Portland cement at rates of 45%, 55%, and 65%. Class F fly ash-ground granulated blast furnace slag combinations replaced Portland cement at rates of 65%, 75%, and 85% where the combinations consisted of 25% fly ash and 40%, 50%, and 60% slag. Results indicate that all prisms exceeded the 10.3 MPa (1500 psi) minimum compressive strength requirements before the mandated 28-day age period. Neither 55% and 65% fly ash replacements nor the 85% fly ash-slag combination achieved grout strength minimums at the typical specified age. The grout mixtures manufactured with exceeding addition rates which attained greater than the minimum strength at the 28-day age were the 45% fly ash and 65% and 75% fly ash-slag combination. All grouts did, eventually, extend their strength gain beyond 13.8 MPa (2000 psi) through the course of testing and all but 65% fly ash achieved this strength within 42 days.

The research in this dissertation is divided between three different approaches for predicting the shear strength of reinforcement masonry shear walls. Each approach provides increasing accuracy and precision in predicting the shear strength of masonry walls. The three approaches were developed or validated using data from 353 wall tests that have been conducted over the past half century. The data were collected, scrutinized, and synthesized using principles of meta-analysis. Predictions made with current Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC) shear strength equation are unconservative and show a higher degree of variation for partially-grouted walls. The first approach modifies the existing MSJC equation to account for the differences in nominal strength and uncertainty between fully- and partially-grouted walls. The second approach develops a new shear strength equation developed to perform equally well for both fully- and partially-grouted walls to replace and improve upon the current MSJC equation. The third approach develops a methodology for creating strut-and-tie models to analyze or design masonry shear walls. It was discovered that strut-and-tie modeling theory provides the best description of masonry shear wall strength and performance. The masonry strength itself provides the greatest contribution to the overall shear capacity of the wall and can be represented as diagonal compression struts traveling from the top of the wall to the compression toe. The shear strength of masonry wall is inversely related to the shear span ratio of the wall. Axial load contributes to shear strength, but to a lesser degree than what has been previously believed. The prevailing theory about the contribution of horizontal shear reinforcement was shown to not be correct and the contribution is much smaller than was originally assumed by researchers. Horizontal shear reinforcement principally acts by resisting diagonal tensile forces in the masonry and by helping to redistribute stresses in a cracked masonry panel. Vertical reinforcement was shown to have an effect on shear strength by precluding overturning of the masonry panel and by providing vertical anchorages to the diagonal struts.

The project discuss mass and monomateriality through residential case studies of modular masonry.

This thesis investigates the in-plane shear performance of full-scale walls made from compressed earth blocks. Compressed earth blocks are a type of masonry where the blocks are composed of compressed soil and typically dry-stacked without mortar. Prior research has demonstrated that the in-plane shear strength of these blocks falls far short of capacities predicted by conventional masonry building codes, requiring new testing to develop effective and safe designs for seismic conditions. This thesis specifically studies the effects of block type and the use of grouted shear keys at the block head joints. Three full-scale walls were constructed and tested under in-plane, cyclic loading. To compare the effect of block type on shear strength, one wall was constructed from Rhino blocks as used by the Center for Vocational Building Technology, while another used V-Lock blocks designed by the Vermeer Corporation. Apart from differences in size and interlock mechanism, the standard Rhino blocks have shear keys at the head joints which are not present on the V-Lock blocks. To examine the effect of these shear keys, a third wall was built from Rhino blocks with the shear keys removed. The two standard block types displayed no major difference in strength that could not be attributed to grouted area or the presence/absence of the head joint shear keys. The Rhino block wall with shear keys reached a higher peak load relative to the grouted area but experienced a brittle drop in capacity after peaking, while the other two walls exhibited an extended loading plateau after the initial peak. All walls failed with cracking and block sliding along the main diagonals, a failure mode similar to conventional masonry. Proposals are made for modifying the equations for shear capacity from the Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC) 2013 code for use in designing compressed earth block shear walls.

Yes / Structural walls of old historical structures are either blind or have openings for functional requirements. It is well known that in and out of plane responses of structural walls are affected by the size, locations, and arrangements of such openings. The purpose of this investigation is to study the window opening effects on static and seismic behaviors of historical masonry old mosques. Fatih Mosque, which was converted from a church, constructed in 914 in Trabzon, Turkey, is selected for this purpose. The mosque is being restored. Structural exterior walls of the mosque were made using stone and mortar materials. When the plaster on the walls was removed during the restoration, 12 window openings were found as blind on the exterior structural walls of the mosque. Within the scope of restoration works, it is aimed to open such blind windows. In order to investigate the effects of the window openings on the structural behavior of the mosque, 3D solid and finite elements models of the mosque with and without window openings are initially developed. The experimental dynamic characteristics such as frequency, damping ratio, and mode shapes of the current situation of the mosque, where some windows openings are blind, are determined using Ambient Vibration Testing. Then, the finite element model of the current situation of the mosque is updated using the experimental dynamic characteristics. The static and seismic time history analyses of the updated finite element model with and without window openings are carried out. Structural behaviors of the mosque with and without window openings are compared considering displacement and stress propagations.

Yes / In this study, the main emphasis is placed on the development and characterization of alkali-activated binders completely produced by the use of mixed construction and demolition waste (CDW)-based masonry units as aluminosilicate precursors. Combined usage of precursors was aimed to better simulate the real-life cases since in the incident of construction and demolition, these wastes are anticipated to be generated collectively. As different masonry units, red clay brick (RCB), hollow brick (HB) and roof tile (RT) were used in binary combinations by 75-25%, 50-50% and 25-75% of the total weight of the binder. Mixtures were produced with different curing temperature/periods and molarities of NaOH solution as the alkaline activator. Characterization was made by the compressive strength measurements supported by microstructural investigations which included the analyses of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX). Results clearly showed that completely CDW-based masonry units can be effectively used collectively in producing alkali-activated binders having up to 80 MPa compressive strength provided that the mixture design parameters are optimized. Among different precursors utilized, HB seems to contribute more to the compressive strength. Irrespective of their composition, main reaction products of alkali-activated binders from CDW-based masonry units are sodium aluminosilicate hydrate (N-A-S-H) gels containing different zeolitic polytypes with structure ranging from amorphous to polycrystalline.

Well-detailed reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls did not achieve the expected seismic performance in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake as per the Canterbury earthquake royal commission report. Similarly, RC shear walls showed low seismic performance in the 2010 Maule earthquake. The two major seismic events intrigued this research dissertation, where six half-scaled RC shear walls were constructed and tested. The six walls were split into two phases, each phase had different end configurations (i.e., rectangular, flanged, and boundary elements). Phase II RC walls had 2.4 times the vertical reinforcement ratio of Phase I walls. The walls were detailed as per CSA A23.3-19, and they were tested laterally under a quasi-static cyclic fully-reversed loading while maintaining a constant axial load through the full test of the walls. The overall seismic performance of the six walls is evaluated in Chapters 2 and 3 in terms of their load-displacement relationships, crack patterns, displacement ductility capacities, stiffness degradation trends, curvature profiles, end strains, energy dissipation capabilities, and equivalent viscous damping ratios. In addition, damage states are specified according to the Federal Emergency Management Assessment (FEMA P58) guidelines. The results came in agreement with the Canterbury earthquake royal commission report, where the test walls with low vertical reinforcement ratios showed lower-than-expected seismic performance due to the concentration of their plastic hinges at the primary crack locations. Moreover, the results validated the Christchurch (2011) and Maule (2010) earthquake findings as concentrating the rebars at the end zones and providing adequate confinement enhanced the seismic performance of the test walls, which was the case for Phase II flanged and boundary element walls. The displacement ductility variations of the test walls inspired the work of Chapter 4, where the objective is to develop a data-driven expression for RC shear walls to better quantify their displacement ductility capacities. In this respect, an analytical model is developed and experimentally validated using several RC walls. The analytical model is then used to generate a dataset of RC walls with a wide range of geometrical configurations and design parameters, including cross-sectional properties, aspect ratios, axial loads, vertical reinforcement ratio, and concrete compressive strengths. This dataset is utilized to develop two data-driven prediction expressions for the displacement ductility of RC walls with rectangular and flanged/boundary element end configurations. The developed data-driven expressions accurately predicted the displacement ductility of such walls and they should be adopted by relevant building codes and design standards, instead of assigning a single ductility-related modification factor for all ductile RC shear walls, as per the 2020 National Building Code of Canada. Several researchers tested well-detailed Reinforced Masonry (RM) shear walls and the results concluded that RM shear walls showed high seismic performance similar to that of RC shear walls. This intrigued the research efforts presented in Chapter 5, where a comparative analysis is performed between the six RC walls tested in this dissertation and three RM walls tested in a previous experimental program. The analysis focuses on comparing the seismic performance of both wall systems in terms of their crack patterns, load-displacement envelopes, curvature profiles, displacement ductility, normalized periods, and equivalent viscous damping ratios. In addition, an economic assessment is performed to compare such RC and RM shear walls using their total rebar weights and the total construction costs. Overall, RM shear walls achieved an acceptable seismic performance coupled with low rebar weights and low construction costs when compared to their RC counterparts. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Reinforced masonry grouted using self-consolidating grout (SCG) is a relatively new and economically competitive option for construction, providing advantages such as reduced construction time, decreased noise and vibration, and reliable consolidation. However, SCG has different properties than conventional grout and its performance should be verified using current governing code requirements. The purpose of this research program was to determine the development length of spliced reinforcing bars in masonry grouted with SCG.Twelve masonry panels, four courses high and two and a half blocks wide, were constructed using 8-inch concrete masonry units, each with two pairs of vertically spliced #6 reinforcing bars. Six of the panels had splice lengths that met current code provisions to verify that the code requirements are adequate for use with SCG. The remaining panels had shorter splice lengths than required to investigate the possibility of shorter splices in SCG. The ultimate bond strengths were compared to the design requirement for a splice to develop 125% of the yield strength of the rein-forcing bars.All lap splices developed the required stress, including those with shorter lengths. This indicates that the current code provisions are adequate to determine the development length of reinforcement splices in masonry grouted with SCG and reinforced with #6 bars in the specific configurations tested. According to this study, a development length reduction factor may be viable when SCG is used in masonry.

Pages vi, 34, 68, 158, 208 and 226 are blank and therefore omitted. / <p> To assess the ductility of shear walls under earthquake loading, more experimental evidence is strongly needed. Ductile response can be achieved through the development of a flexural plastic hinge at the base characterized by yielding of the vertical reinforcement. The length of the plastic hinge and the ultimate curvatures within this region are the essential parameters affecting the ductility and ultimate displacements of reinforced masonry shear walls. The discrepancies in existing information regarding the length of plastic hinges and ultimate curvature may be attributed to the effects of many shear wall parameters such as distribution and amount of vertical and horizontal steel, level of axial load, and wall aspect ratio. </p> <p> The focus of this study was to evaluate the effect of different parameters on plastic hinge length, energy dissipation, and on general ductility of masonry shear walls. To address the aforementioned goal, six fully grouted reinforced masonry walls were tested under fully reversed cyclic lateral loading. All walls were designed to experience ductile flexural failure. The test matrix was chosen to investigate the effects of the amount and distribution of vertical reinforcement and the level of applied axial load on the lateral loading response and ductility of reinforced masonry shear walls. To examine the effects of these parameters, measurements of the applied loads, vertical and horizontal displacements as well as strains in the reinforcing bars were used to analyze the behaviour of the walls. Also, from these measurements, other quantities used in analysis were determined, including displacement ductilities, curvature profiles, energy dissipation and equivalent plastic hinge length. </p> <p> The results show high ductile capability in the plastic hinge region and very little degradation of strength for cyclic loading. High levels of energy dissipation in the reinforced concrete masonry shear walls were achieved by flexural yielding of the vertical reinforcement. All walls showed increasing hysteretic damping ratios with increase in displacement. Results showed that displacement ductility and energy dissipation were highly sensitive to increases in amount of vertical reinforcement but were less dependent on the level of applied axial stress. The results of this study also showed that the measured plastic zone length decreases with increase of the amount of reinforcement while it is almost the same for the different levels of axial stress. Based on the test results, it was shown that reinforced concrete masonry shear walls may be utilized in high intensity seismic areas with performance meeting or exceeding current expectations. </p> / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Reinforced concrete block shear walls (RCBSWs) are used as seismic force resisting systems in low- and medium-rise buildings. However, attributed to their nonlinear behavior and composite material nature, accurate prediction of their seismic performance relying only on mechanics is challenging. This study introduces multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP)— a class of bio-inspired artificial intelligence, to uncover the complexity of RCBSW behaviors and develop simplified procedures for predicting the full backbone curve of flexure-dominated fully grouted RCBSWs under cyclic loading. A piecewise linear backbone curve was developed using five secant stiffness expressions associated with cracking, yielding, 80% ultimate, ultimate, and 20% strength degradation (i.e., post-peak stage) derived through controlled MGGP. Based on the experimental results of large-scale cyclically loaded RCBSWs, compiled from previously reported studies, a variable selection procedure was performed to identify the most influential variable subset governing wall behaviors. Utilizing individual wall results, the MGGP stiffness expressions were first trained and tested, and their accuracy was subsequently compared to that of existing models employing various statistical measures. In addition, the predictability of the developed backbone model was assessed at the system-level against experimental results of two two-story buildings available in the literature. The outcomes obtained from this study demonstrate the power of MGGP approach in addressing the complexity of the cyclic behavior of RCBSWs at both component- and system-level—offering an efficient prediction tool that can be adopted by relevant seismic design standards pertaining to RCBSW buildings. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)