Author

ELMENSHAWI, A. and SOROUR, M.
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
PARSEKIAN, G.
Federal University of Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, Brazil
DUCHESNE, D. and PAQUETTE, J.
Public Works and Government Services Canada
MUFTI, A.
University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada
JAEGER, L.
Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada
SHRIVE, N.
University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Unreinforced masonry is a common in historic structures worldwide. Structures built from unreinforced masonry may be vulnerable to seismic activity. The current study is concerned with the West Block building on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, which consists of loadbearing stone masonry elements. A typical wall consists of a sandstone wythe and a limestone wythe with the cavity between filled with rubble masonry. Eight representative walls were constructed with five containing different metal anchors. The walls were tested under several loading conditions to evaluate their seismic behaviour. After exposing the walls to in-plane cyclic static and dynamic loading schemes, the walls were subjected to out-of-plane shake table tests. The shake table tests were performed with ground motions simulating actual and synthetic earthquakes for the city of Ottawa. Although the walls had been damaged in the in-plane tests, they survived with no kind of failure in the out-of-plane.

Key words
Unreinforced masonry, earthquake, rehabilitation, out-of-plane, stones