Experimental Out-of-Plane Behaviour of a Rammed Earth Sub-Assemblage Subjected to Seismic Inputs

Rammed earth technique is spread worldwide, representing the local identity of many cultures for which they must be preserved. Yet, rammed earth heritage is also well known for its high seismic vulnerability and despite the increasing concern for this aspect, few investigations were conducted on dynamic response of such structures. In this framework, an experimental program was undertaken on a rammed earth mock-up by means of shake table tests carried out at the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC) in Lisbon. To investigate the out-of-plane behaviour of rammed earth walls, a mock-up was built in real scale with a U-shape and then subjected to a series of increasing seismic inputs. The results are here discussed in terms of damage, displacements and base shear coefficient. In conclusion, the model behaved as a rigid block to earthquake excitations.