The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Cyclic shear tests of masonry piers, Volume 1 - test results

Mayes, Ronald L.; Omote, Yutaro; Clough, Ray W.

UCB/EERC-76/08, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1976-05, 105 pages (515/M29/1976)

This report presents the results of cyclic in-plane shear tests on a variety of fixed ended masonry piers. The test set-up is designed to simulate, insofar as possible, the boundary conditions the piers would experience in a perforated shear wall of a complete building. Each test specimen was a full-scale panel about 15 ft square consisting of two piers and a top and bottom spandrel. The panels were constructed from 6 in. wide x 8 in. high x 16 in. long hollow concrete block units. The variables included in the investigation were the quantity and distribution of reinforcement including joint reinforcement, the rate of load application, partial grouting and the vertical bearing stress. The results are presented in the form of hysteresis envelopes, graphs of stiffness degradation properties and tabulated data on the ultimate strength and ductility indicators. Part II of this report, "Cyclic shear tests of masonry piers, Volume 2 - analysis of test results," by Mayes, Omote, and Clough, June 1976 (UCB/EERC-76/16), provides a comparison of the results obtained from the double-pier tests with those obtained from a simple diagonal test and with other investigations, as well as a correlation of the test results with theoretically predicted results and comments on the design implications of the test results.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-76-08.pdf (8 MB)