STRENGTHENING OF INFILL BRICK WALLS USING STEEL PROFILES

The load-bearing system of majority of the rc structures in turkey is composed only of columns and beams. strengthening of rc structures against seismic loading is a trending topic and various methods are utilized. one of the suggested methods is the strengthening of the brick infill walls located in the rc frame. there are important progresses on this topic and studies are revolved around the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (cfrp) materials. however, cfrp material is imported from other countries and has high costs. in this study, as an alternative to cfrp materials, cheaper, domestic product and easily applicable steel profiles are utilized. within the scope of this study, ½ scaled six masonry walls were tested under cyclic loading, one of which was a reference specimen. it is found that the rigidity and horizontal strength capacities of strengthened specimens are improved 3 and 3,5 times respectively.