Cyclic quasi-static testing of a half-scale, two-story unreinforced masonry building with structural irregularity

Abstract

Pushover analysis is a straightforward tool to be applied in engineering practice to validate a numerical method, or to use performance-based design/assessment methods. Yet, a limited number of the experimental campaign, which studies the building response in a quasi-static regimen, exists. In the present study, cyclic quasi-static testing of a half-scale two-story unreinforced masonry building with structural irregularity has been performed at the Laboratory of the Structures at the University of Minho. A typical building typology has been selected and the structural irregularity is introduced by a setback in one corner of the building plan. The loading has been applied as unidirectional at the centre of mass to observe the torsional effects due to irregularity. In the present paper, the testing procedure, and the main experimental findings are presented and discussed.