Dynamic response of prestressed masonry structure made of half reduced scale fly ash bricks excited by shake table

Based on previous failure characteristics of masonry structures under earthquakes, and due to the fact that a considerable number of masonry structures have been built around the world, a strengthening strategy for improving seismic performance of masonry structures is adopted and justified in this experiment, namely, the pre-stressing technique. The principle of this strategy is to tension the pre-stressing tendons located on both sides of the walls in order to increase the in-plane shear strength and simultaneously to improve the out-of-plane bending resistance of masonry walls, thus allowing an overall improvement of masonry structures under seismic loadings. In this experimental investigation shake table tests were conducted on one reduced model that represent normal single room building constructed by clay burnt brick. Model was constructed with post-tensioning bars.to examine the seismic capacity of the model particularly when subjected to long period ground motion by large amplitude by many cycles of repeated loading. The test specimen was shaken repeatedly until the failure. The test results are calculated from Dewesoft & data Acquisition system.