The out-of-plane capacity of semi-interlocking masonry infill panels: experimental and numerical investigations using DIANA and ABAQUS software

The semi interlocking masonry (SIM) system has been developed by the Masonry Research Group at The University of Newcastle, Australia. The main purpose of this system is to enhance the seismic resistance of framed structures with masonry infill panels. In this system, SIM panels dissipate energy during earthquake excitation through the friction on sliding joints between courses of units. A joint project is performed including a series of in-plane and out-of-plane testing programs to evaluate the capacity of SIM panels. The study reported in this paper experimentally investigated the out-of-plane displacement/load capacity of the SIM panel damaged in previous in-plane tests. The experimental results of a full-scale SIM panel made of SIM units with topological and mechanical interlocking units are presented in this paper. The panel is 1,980 mm and 2,025 mm in length and height, respectively. The thickness of the panel is 110 mm with full contact to the frame. The paper also presents the numerical 3D micro modelling of the tested panel using general nonlinear static analysis in two software programs, namely DIANA FEA and ABAQUS. The out-of-plane load and the displaced shapes of the panel are recorded at regular increments and are compared to the numerical results for verification of the numerical models. The results show that the SIM panels have significant out-of-plane load and displacement capacity.