SHAKING TABLE SEISMIC TESTON PERFORMANCE OF FRAME-STRUCTURE WITH LIGHT-WEIGHT INFILLED WALLS

A scaled model of a three-story and two-cross frame structure with light-weight infilled walls was designed under a similarity ratio of 1/4 and then tested on a shaking table under different ground motion levels to explore its aseismic performance. Comparing the mode tested results of non-filled and infilled frame structures, the enhancing effect of infilled walls on the frequency of a frame was studied. By analyzing the failure phenomena of the main structure, the frequency attenuation, stiffness degradation, inter-story drift angles and story amplification factors of infilled walls were investigated during different failure stages. The cooperative process of infilled walls and the frame was discussed as well. The results show that the infilled walls firstly dissipated the seismic energy so that the time of frame cracking tends to be postponed, while the flexible joints between infilled walls and frames failed, creating plastic hinges in the joints of frames and columns. The failure mechanism of ‘strong column and weak beam’ cannot be achieved, which become the weak points of aseismic performance of frame structures.