Two-Story Perforated URM Wall Subjected to Cyclic In-Plane Loading

The testing program reported herein was designed to provide experimental results from a structure relevant to the type and form of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings that are commonly found in several countries. The experimental test provided results associated with the system-level displacement-controlled quasistatic response of a half-scale two-story perforated URM wall loaded in-plane. The geometry of the wall was specifically chosen to investigate the effect of shallow spandrels on the multistory response. It was concluded that the response of the two-story perforated URM wall exhibited an approximate elastic–perfectly plastic behavior, with a nonlinear response. The external piers rocked over their interstory effective height and the wall reached an ultimate drift of 1.4% with minimal strength loss but with extensive damage to the top-level spandrel elements.