Study on influence of infilled walls on seismic performance of RC frame structures

Infilled frames had enormous damage in Wenchuan Earthquake.It is not always safe to have the effect of the infilled walls.It is most necessary to develop the method to consider the effect of the infilled walls on the frames when making the seismic design of the frames.Based on the elastic analysis,static nonlinear analysis and dynamic nonlinear analysis of the frame structures,which are designed according to the current Chinese seismic codes,the effects on the internal force,stiffness and deformation in the frames caused by the infilled wall,especially in the strong earthquake,are achieved and then the measures to consider the adverse effect of infilled wall are taken.The conclusions are as follows: it is unfavorable to the frame when the infilled walls are not evenly distributed.It is easy to present the additional shear and the short columns damage caused by the local restraint effect of infilled wall.In the end,this paper proposes the measures to consider the infilled wall in the seismic design and management.