Preventing Collapse of Vulnerable R/C Buildings Using Wood Interlocking Blocks

Abstract

This paper proposes a wood interlocking block infill to prevent vulnerable R/C buildings from collapsing, and discusses its viability through experimental and analytical investigations. A series of structural tests were performed using one-story, one-bay R/C frame specimens with/without installing the proposed infill to verify its contributions. As a result, the infill significantly improved the seismic performance, particularly axial resistance and ductility, of the overall frame. Moreover, an analytical study was also conducted to clarify the distinctive characteristics of the proposed infill. Probabilistic analyses were carried out focusing on a vulnerable R/C building damaged during the 2007 Sumatra, Indonesia earthquakes, which was investigated after the earthquakes by the authors. Comparing the probabilities of collapse for three cases-without infills, with typical brick infills, and with the proposed infills-an alternative concept to prevent building collapses and to save human lives was introduced.