Source: National Concrete Masonry Association

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will measure potential seismic-resistance benefits of hybrid masonry for low- to mid-rise buildings, perhaps providing building developers and contractors with a cost-effective construction solution applicable to all seismic zones. Awarded as an outcome of the NSF 09-524 George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Research competition, the grant will advance knowledge of how buildings constructed with hybrid masonry respond to seismic activity of varying intensities, as well as other lateral loadings such as strong winds or blast; refine structural testing, since the scale and complexity of proposed tests will establish a new norm for structural masonry research; and, set a new mark in modeling mechanics of masonry and its contact with a frame under seismic loadings.

The new hybrid-masonry technology relies on the structural action of reinforced concrete masonry panels attached to a conventional steel frame. Key to the system’s effectiveness in enhancing seismic performance—at reduced cost and environmental impact—are interactions with the surrounding steel frame facilitated by novel steel link connectors designed to act as fuses in dissipating seismic energy. Research will comprise large-scale testing of two-story hybrid masonry frames at the University of Illinois and complementary steel link connector tests at the University of Hawaii. Also joining the project’s principal investigator, Dr. Dan Abrams at Illinois, will be David Biggs of Ryan-Biggs and Associates, a Troy, N.Y.-based architectural/engineering firm currently designing buildings using the hybrid-masonry technology.