Exploring the Seismic Performance of Confined Brick Masonry Walls via Diverse Toothing Connections: A Numerical Investigation

Confined brick masonry (CBM) combines masonry walls with reinforced concrete ties for enhanced structural integrity. The wall-to-tie connection is essential for effective load transfer, preventing out-of-plane failure, and enhancing ductility. Introducing tie-columns into masonry walls through various toothing connections is crucial. However, previous research and guidelines do not provide clear insights into their specific contributions, making it difficult to accurately assess their impact. Addressing this gap, our study employed a robust numerical approach, utilizing an integrated finite element macromodel that treated wall and tie members as a single entity, thereby improving computational efficiency. Additionally, the study applied the concrete damage plasticity model to predict damage progression in CBM walls and performed pushover analysis to evaluate the seismic performance of various toothing schemes in CBM walls. An extensive parametric study was conducted to compare various toothing schemes, evaluate the optimal horizontal and vertical projections of tooth, assess the impact of height-to-thickness ratio on toothing schemes, and investigate the effect of openings on the performance of toothing schemes in CBM walls. This research also assessed the severity of damage encountered by CBM walls, providing insights into crack propagation and distribution and emphasizing the significance of its design. This study highlights the critical role of toothing schemes in the seismic performance of CBM walls, with the machine-made toothing schemes demonstrating superior results. These schemes significantly enhanced ultimate strength, stiffness, and energy absorption compared to handmade, horizontal reinforcement, and no-tooth options. The research also quantified the positive correlation between increased wall thickness and improved structural resilience, particularly when paired with machine-made toothing. Furthermore, the study identified the adverse effects of wall openings on seismic performance, emphasizing the importance of precise tooth size and arrangement. Notably, a 100-mm vertical projection was shown to offer the most effective seismic performance, providing valuable, data-driven guidelines for the design of earthquake-resistant CBM structures.