Seismic Performance Assessment of Steel bar Joints between Reinforced Masonry Walls and RC Slabs

Reinforced masonry buildings are technically and economically suitable options for earthquake-prone countries. Inadequate connections between the components of these structures cause damage and destruction in an earthquake. Percentage and connection type between wall and concrete slab are the most effective parameters on safety of these buildings. In this article a model for the seismic behavior of reinforced masonry (RM) building subjected to push-over analysis has been presented. The modeling of the RM structure with concrete slabs has done in ABAQUS, using explicit finite element model. The proposed finite element model has been verified by comparison with experimental data available in the literature and then five models including one, two and four story buildings in different situations have been modeled. Bending length, distance and diameter of joint bars between the walls and concrete slab have been investigated and some recommendations in this field have been presented.