FE Analysis of RC Frames with and without Masonry Infill Panels

FE Analysis of RC Frames with and without Masonry Infill Panels

A. Mohyeddin1, H. M. Goldsworthy2, E. F. Gad3 and S. Maharjan4

1. Corresponding Author. Course Coordinator, School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027
   Email: a.mohyeddin@ecu.edu.au

2. Associate Professor, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010
   Email: helenmg@unimelb.edu.au

3. Professor and Chair, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122
   Email: egad@swin.edu.au

4. Master Student, School of Engineering,
   Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027 Email: shankarm@our.ecu.edu.au

ABSTRACT:

This paper focuses on the FE analysis of reinforced concrete frames with and without masonry infill panels using ANSYS and OpenSees. First, the FE results are compared with those of experimental available from literature, and some of shortcomings of ANSYS associated with concrete/masonry material modelling are investigated. This comparison confirms the validity of a previously proposed indirect methodology to be employed in ANSYS for modelling concrete. The second part of the paper focuses on “Equivalent Single Strut” modelling of infill-frames. Two-dimensional strut models are constructed using OpenSees considering the nonlinear behaviour of the masonry infill panel and concrete frame. The results are compared with those of detailed three-dimensional models created using ANSYS. The effect of some key material properties on the results of strut models is discussed and some inherent limitations of this technique are identified.

Keywords: Finite Element, ANSYS, OpenSees, Infill-Frame, Strut Modelling, Masonry, Concrete