CONFINED MASONRY

CONSTRUCTION

SUBMITTED BY
ALPHY ANTO
SEMESTER 5
CLASS NO: 9
REG NO: 18010375

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER NO. TITLE PAGE NO

1. WHAT IS CONFINED MASONRY 3

2. STRUCTRAL COMPONENTS OF
CM BUILIDING 4
3. HOW IS CM DIFFERENT FROM RC
FRAME CONSTRUCTION 5
4. WORLDWIDE APPILICATIONS 4
5. HOW CM BUILIDING RESIST EARTHQUAKE 7
EFFECTS
6. KEY FACTORS INFLUENCING SEISMIC RESISTANCE
OF CM STRUCTURES
6.1 WALL DENSITY 9
6.2 MASONRY UNITS AND MORTAR 10
6.3 TIE – COLUMNS 10
6.4 HORIZONTAL WALL REINFORCEMENT 11
6.5 OPENINGS 12
7. EARTHQUAKE PERFORMANCE OF CM
CONSTRUCTION 12
8. EARTHQUAKE RESIST CM
CONSTRUCTION: A GUIDELINE 14
8.1 BACKGROUND
8.2 ACHITECTURAL GUIDELINE
8.3 CONSTRUCTION GUIDELIN
9. ADVANTAGES AND DIADVANTAGES OF CM 15
10. CONCLUSION REMARKS 16
11. REFERENCE 17

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 1.CONFINED MASONRY(CM)
Over the last 100 years, confined masonry construction has emerged as a
building technology that offers an alternative to both unreinforced masonry and
RC frame construction. In fact, confined masonry has features of both these
technologies. Confined masonry construction consists of masonry walls (made
either of clay brick or concrete block units) and horizontal and vertical RC
confining members built on all four sides of a masonry wall panel. Vertical
members, called tie-columns or practical columns, resemble columns in RC
frame construction except that they tend to be of far smaller cross-section.
Horizontal elements, called tie-beams, resemble beams in RC frame
construction. To emphasize that confining elements are not beams and columns,
alternative terms horizontal ties and vertical ties could be used instead of tie-
beams and tie-columns.

The confining members are effective in

• Enhancing the stability and integrity of masonry wall for in-plane and out-of-
plane earthquake loads (confining members can effectively contain damaged
masonry walls),
• Enhancing the strength (resistance) of masonry walls under lateral earthquake
loads, and
• Reducing the brittleness of masonry walls under earthquake loads and hence
improving their earthquake performance.

Confined masonry construction is somewhat similar to reinforced

masonry. In reinforced masonry, vertical and horizontal reinforcement bars are
provided to enhance the strength of masonry walls. Masonry units are usually
hollow and are made of concrete or clay. Vertical reinforcement bars are placed
in the hollow cores, which are subsequently grouted with a cement-based grout
to protect the reinforcement from corrosion. Vertical reinforcement is placed at
the wall corners and intersections, around the openings, and additional
locations depending on expected seismic loads. Horizontal reinforcement is
provided in the form of ladder reinforcement (placed in horizontal joints) or
deformed reinforcement bars placed in bond beams typically located at the
lintel level (similar to RC lintel bands in Indian masonry construction). In

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reinforced masonry construction, vertical reinforcement mainly resists the
effects of axial load and bending, whereas horizontal reinforcement resists
shear.
In confined masonry, the reinforcement is concentrated in vertical
and horizontal confining elements whereas the masonry walls are usually free
of reinforcement.

2.STRUCTRAL COMPONENTS OF CM BUILDINGS

• Masonry walls –
Transmit the gravity load from the slab(s) above down to the foundation; the
walls act as bracing panels, which resist horizontal earthquake forces. The walls
must be confined by concrete tie-beams and tie-columns to ensure satisfactory
earthquake performance.
• Confining elements (tie-columns and tie-beams) –
Provide restraint to masonry walls and protect them from complete
disintegration even in major earthquakes; these elements resist gravity loads
and have important role in ensuring vertical stability of a building in an
earthquake.
• Floor and roof slabs –
Transmit both gravity and lateral loads to the walls. In an earthquake, slabs
behave like horizontal beams and are called diaphragms.
• Plinth band –
Transmits the load from the walls down to the foundation. It also protects the
ground floor walls from excessive settlement in soft soil conditions.
• Foundation –
Transmits the loads from the structure to the ground.

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 3.HOW IS CM DIFFERENT FROM RC FRAME
CONSTRUCTION

The appearance of a finished confined masonry construction and a RC frame

construction with masonry infills may look alike to lay people, however these
two construction systems are substantially different. The main differences are
related to the construction sequence, as well as to the manner in which these
structures resist gravity and lateral loads. In confined masonry construction,
confining elements are not designed to act as a moment-resisting frame; as a
result, detailing of reinforcement is simple. In general, confining elements have
smaller cross-sectional dimensions than the corresponding beams and columns
in a RC frame building. It should be noted that the most important difference
between the confined masonry walls and infill walls is that infill walls are not
load-bearing walls, while the walls in a confined masonry building are.

In some instances, there is a thin line between RC frame and confined

masonry construction practices. Some RC frame buildings may use smaller
column sizes and/or inadequate reinforcement detailing for effective moment
transfer between the beams and the columns. It should be noted that, in spite
of a few details typical for confined masonry construction, such RC buildings are
likely not going to demonstrate good seismic performance characteristic for
properly built confined masonry; instead, they are going to perform poorly in an
earthquake due to inadequate design and/or construction.
A transition from RC frame to confined masonry construction in
most cases lead to savings related to concrete cost, since confining elements are
smaller in size than the corresponding RC frame members. Also, less
reinforcement and less intricate detailing is required for confined masonry
construction than for RC frame construction.

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 Confined masonry construction RC Frame construction
Gravity and lateral load Masonry walls are the main RC frames resist both
resisting system load bearing elements and are gravity and lateral loads
expected to resist both gravity through their relatively
and lateral loads. Confining large beams, columns,
elements (tie-beams and tie and their connections.
columns) are significantly Masonry infills are not
smaller in size than RC beams load-bearing walls.
and columns.
Foundation construction Strip footing beneath the wall Isolated footing
and the RC plinth band beneath each column
Super structure 1. Masonry walls are 1. The frame is
construction sequence constructed first. constructed first.
2. Subsequently, tie- 2. Masonry walls are
columns are cast in place. constructed at a later
3. Finally, tie-beams are stage and are not
constructed on top of the bonded to the frame
walls, simultaneously members; these walls
with the floor/roof slab are non-structural, that
construction. is, non-load bearing
walls.

4.WORLDWIDE APPILICATIONS
Confined masonry construction has evolved though an informal process based
on its satisfactory performance in past earthquakes. The first reported use of
confined masonry construction was in the reconstruction of buildings destroyed
by the 1908 Messina, Italy earthquake (Magnitude 7.2), which killed over 70,000
people. The practice of confined masonry construction started in Chile in the
1930’s after the 1928 Talca earthquake (Magnitude 8.0) that affected a
significant number of unreinforced masonry buildings. Subsequently, the 1939
earthquake (Magnitude 7.8) that struck the mid-southern region of the country,
revealed very good performance of confined masonry buildings (Moroni et al.,
2004). Confined masonry construction was introduced in Mexico City, Mexico in
the 1940’s to control the wall cracking caused by large differential settlements
under the soft soil conditions. Several years later, this system became popular

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in other areas of highest seismic hazard in Mexico due to its excellent
earthquake performance (Meli and Alcocer, 2004). The use of confined masonry
in Colombia dates from the 1930’s and it is currently widely used for housing
construction, from single-storey dwellings to fivestorey apartment buildings
(Garcia and Yamin, 1994).
Over the last 30 years, confined masonry construction has been practiced
in Mediterranean Europe (Italy, Slovenia, Serbia), Latin America (Mexico, Chile,
Peru, Argentina, and other countries), the Middle East (Iran), south Asia
(Indonesia), and the Far East (China). A world map showing the areas of high
seismic risk is presented in Figure 6. It is important to note that confined
masonry construction is practiced in the countries and regions of extremely high
seismic risk. Several examples of confined masonry construction around the
world, from Argentina, Chile, Iran, Peru, Serbia and Slovenia, are featured in the
World Housing Encyclopaedia (EERI/IAEE, 2000).
Confined masonry has been used for the construction of one storey
single-family housing, as shown in Figure 7, and also two to-three-storey
medium-rise apartment buildings (see Figure 8 top). The limit of a five-storey
building height usually coincides with most construction codes’ height
restrictions for buildings without elevators (Casaubon, 2000). In Mexico, six-
storey high confined masonry buildings are not uncommon (Alcocer, 2006). It is
a common practice that low-rise confined masonry buildings (up to two-storey
high single-family construction) are nonengineered, whereas engineers and
architects are involved in the design of taller apartment buildings.
5.HOW CM BULIDING RESIST EARTHQUAKE
EFFECTS

A confined masonry building subjected to earthquake ground shaking can

be modelled as a vertical truss, as shown in Figure 10 (left). Masonry walls act
as diagonal struts subjected to compression, while reinforced concrete confining
members act in tension and/or compression, depending on the direction of
lateral earthquake forces. This model is appropriate before the cracking in the
walls takes place. Subsequently, the cracking is concentrated at the ground floor
level and significant lateral deformations take place. Under severe earthquake
ground shaking, the collapse of confined masonry buildings may take place due
to soft storey effect similar to the one observed in RC frames with masonry

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infills, as shown in Figure 10 (right). This behaviour was confirmed by
experimental studies (Alcocer et al., 2004, 2004a). It was reported after the 2003
Tecomán, Colima, Mexico earthquake, that a three-storey confined masonry
apartment building in Colima experienced significant damage at the ground
floor level (EERI, 2006b). An effective way to avoid the fragile behaviour
associated with the soft storey effect is to provide horizontal reinforcement in
masonry walls in order to enhance their shear resistance (Schultz, 1994).
Research studies that focused on lateral load resistance of confined
masonry walls (Tomazevic and Klemenc, 1997; Tomazevic, 1999; Yoshimura et
al. 2004) identified the following failure modes characteristic of confined
masonry walls:
• Shear failure mode, and
• Flexural failure mode.
Note that, in confined masonry structures, shear failure mode develops due to
in-plane seismic loads (acting along in the plane of the wall), whereas flexural
failure mode may develop either due to in-plane or out-of-plane loads (acting
perpendicular to the wall plane)
Shear failure mode is characterized by distributed diagonal cracking in the
wall. These cracks propagate into the tie-columns at higher load levels. Initially,
a masonry wall panel resists the effects of lateral earthquake loads by itself while
the confining elements (tie-columns) do not play a significant role. However,
once the cracking takes place, the wall pushes the tie-columns sideways. At that
stage, vertical reinforcement in tie-columns becomes engaged in resisting
tension and compression stresses (Tomazevic and Klemenc, 1997). Damage in
the tie-columns at the ultimate load level is concentrated at the top and the
bottom of the panel. These locations, characterized by extensive crushing of
concrete and yielding of steel reinforcement, are called plastic hinges. In
confined masonry construction, tie-beams and tie-columns resist axial loads.
Shear failure can lead to severe damage in the masonry wall and the top and
bottom of the tie-columns.
Flexural failure caused by in-plane lateral loads is characterized by
horizontal cracking in the mortar bed joints on the tension side of the wall.
Experimental studies have shown that, irrespective of the failure
mechanism, tie-columns resist the major portion of gravity load when masonry
walls suffer severe damage (this is due to their high axial stiffness and load
resistance). The failure of a tie column usually takes place when cracks
propagate from the masonry wall into the tie-column and shear it off.
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Subsequently, the vertical stability of the entire wall is compromised.
Experimental studies have shown that vertical strains in the confined masonry
walls decrease at an increased damage level, thereby indicating that a major
portion of the gravity load is resisted by tie-columns. This finding confirms the
notion that tie columns have a critical role in resisting the gravity load in
damaged confined masonry buildings and ensuring their vertical stability
(Alcocer, 2006).

6.KEY FACTORS INFLUENCING SEISIMIC RESISTANCE OF

CM STRUCTURES
6.1 Wall Density
Wall density is believed to be one of the key parameters influencing the
seismic performance of confined masonry buildings. It can be determined as
the transverse area of walls in each principal direction divided by the total
floor area of the building. In Mexico, a simplified procedure was developed to
determine the required wall density for buildings in which the wall seismic
resistance is governed by shear effects (Meli, 1994). After the 1985 Mexico
earthquake, the Mexico City Building Code imposed more stringent wall
density requirements for masonry buildings. These requirements were based
on the fact that, due to the reality of Mexican construction practice, it was not
possible to prescribe the use of higher strength materials or the provision of
reinforcement as an alternative approach for increasing earthquake resistance.
Therefore, after the 1985 earthquake, the code required a 40% increase in the
design seismic resistance; this resulted in a significant increase in wall density
requirements in confined masonry construction. As an example, for a five-
storey building in Mexico City, it is now required to provide wall density of
around 6% in each direction, whereas in the areas of highest seismic risk (the
State of Guerer

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 Figure 1. Wall density (d) versus the number of stories for confined masonry buildings on
soft soil conditions in Mexico1

6.2 Masonry Units and Mortar

The tests have shown that the lateral load resistance of confined masonry
walls strongly depends on the strength of the masonry units and the mortar
used. The walls built using low-strength bricks or ungrouted hollow block units
had the lowest strength while the ones built using grouted or solid units had
the largest strength. However, the use of grouted and solid units results in an
increase both in wall mass and seismic loads. Also, the weaker the mortar the
lower the masonry strength (due to the unit-mortar interaction, the masonry
strength is always lower than the unit strength). Test results have also shown
that there is no significant difference in strength between unreinforced and
confined masonry wall specimens with the same geometry and material
properties (Alcocer and Klingner, 1994).

6.3 Tie-Columns
Tie-columns significantly influence the ductility and stability of cracked
confined masonry walls. Note that the effect of tiecolumns on increasing
lateral resistance of confined masonry structures has only recently been
recognized (Alcocer, 2006). The provision of closely spaced transverse
reinforcement (ties) at the top and bottom ends of tie-columns results in
improved wall stability and ductility in the post-cracking stage (Alcocer and
Klingner, 1994).

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6.4 Horizontal Wall Reinforcement
In many countries where confined masonry construction is practiced,
reinforcement is usually not provided in masonry walls. However, in four-to-
five storey construction in Peru there is a tendency to provide horizontal joint
reinforcement in the form of one or two wires laid in the mortar bed joints
(Casabonne, 1994), as shown in Figure 15. The Mexican Code NTC-M 2004
prescribes that the horizontal reinforcement, when provided, be placed
continuously along the wall length. Horizontal rebars should be anchored into
the tie-columns; the anchorage should be provided with 90o hooks at the far
end of the tie-column (see Figure 2). The hooks should be embedded in the
concrete within the tie-column (note that the tie-column reinforcement was
omitted from the figure). The bar diameter should be larger than 3.5 mm and
less than ¾ the joint thic

Figure 2. Horizontal reinforcement in confined masonry walls2

Research studies have shown that horizontal reinforcement has a beneficial
effect on wall ductility. Specimens with horizontal reinforcement showed a
more uniform distribution of inclined shear cracks than the unreinforced
specimens. The type of steel used for horizontal reinforcement influences its
effectiveness in enhancing masonry shear resistance. Early experimental studies
used horizontal reinforcement made of high carbon steel that exhibited elasto-
plastic behaviour. These studies showed that the provision of horizontal
reinforcement does not result in a significant strength increase.

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6.5 Openings
An experimental research study showed that, when the opening area is less
than approximately 10% of the total wall area, the wall lateral load resistance is
not significantly reduced as compared to a solid wall (i.e. wall without openings)
(Yanez et al. 2004). The walls with larger openings develop diagonal cracks (same
as solid walls), except that the cracks are formed in the piers between the
openings; thus, diagonal struts form in the piers, as shown in Figure 16. The
study recommends estimating the lateral strength of walls with window
openings based on the net transverse wall area (equal to the wall thickness
times the wall length reduced by the sum of window lengths). Note that, in this
study, the vertical reinforcement bars were provided around the openings. Most
building codes prescribe the maximum permitted opening size beyond which
the tie-columns need to be provided. Figure 41 (top) illustrates the Mexico City
building code (NTC-M 2004) requirements.

EARTHQUAKE PERFORMANCE OF CM BUILIDING

Confined masonry buildings have demonstrated satisfactory performance in
past earthquakes. In general, buildings of this type do experience some damage
in earthquakes, however when properly designed and constructed they are able
to sustain earthquake effects without collapse. Latin America is certainly a
region of the world where confined masonry construction is widely used and
was tested in several significant earthquakes associated with the region’s high
seismic risk. According to Schultz (1994), low-rise confined masonry buildings
have performed very well in past Latin American earthquakes. This applies to
buildings regular in plan and elevation, which are lightly loaded and have rather
large wall density. In such cases, confined masonry tends to be quite forgiving
of minor design and construction flaws, as well as material deficiencies. Poor
seismic performance has been noted only when gross construction errors,
design flaws, or material deficiencies have been introduced in the building
design and construction process. Poor performance is usually associated with
tie-column omissions, discontinuous tie-beams, inadequate diaphragm
connections, and inappropriate structural configuration. Seismic performance
of confined masonry construction in Latin America and other parts of the world
will be discussed in this section.

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 Mexico is another country with a long record related to the application of
confined masonry construction. Confined masonry is the most popular type of
construction in Mexico, and it is widely used in the central part of the country.
This type of construction is practiced both in the form of non-engineered
construction (mainly found in rural areas and suburbs of urban centres) and
engineered buildings e.g. industrial facilities and formal housing developments
built under the supervision of qualified professionals (see Figure 18 a and b)
(Garcia, 2006).

(a)

(b)

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7.KEY FACTORS INFLUENCING SEISMIC RESISTANCE OF
CM STRUCTURES

7.1 Background
As discussed above, confined masonry construction has typically performed well
in past earthquakes worldwide, when built according to code requirements. Its
satisfactory earthquake performance is due to the joint action of masonry walls
and their confining elements. Properly designed and built confined masonry
buildings are expected to experience damage in severe earthquakes, however a
very few cases of collapse have been reported in past earthquakes worldwide.
Conceptual considerations related to the architectural design of these buildings,
as well as the key construction issues, are discussed below. Comprehensive
guidelines related to architectural planning and construction of confined
masonry buildings were developed in Peru by Blondet (2005).

7.2 Architectural Guideline

Experience from past earthquakes has confirmed that the initial conceptual
design of a building is critical to its satisfactory performance during an
earthquake. Architects play an important role in developing this conceptual
design and in defining the overall shape, size and dimensions of a building.
Structural engineers are responsible for providing numerical proof of structural
safety and must work closely with architects to ensure that the design meets
both structural and architectural requirements. Engineers are often not involved
in design of low-rise buildings such as confined masonry buildings discussed in
this document. When architects are involved, they work directly with
contractors throughout the construction process. Therefore, it is of critical
importance for architects and builders to become familiar with and to follow
simple rules related to the design and construction of confined masonry
buildings -- this will also facilitate their communication with engineers. The top
10 requirements related to the architectural design of earthquake resistant
confined masonry buildings are outlined below.

7.3 Construction Guideline

Like any other type of building construction, it is essential to ensure good
workmanship and the use of quality building materials when constructing a

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confined masonry building. Earthquake performance of a confined masonry
building strongly depends on the quality of building materials, namely bricks or
blocks, mortar, concrete, and reinforcing steel. This document does not
prescribe minimum strength requirements for any building material. It is
assumed that the minimum material quality requirements prescribed by
pertinent standards related to RC and masonry construction are met. Since
confined masonry involves both masonry and concrete construction, the
importance of good practices related to the field execution of these two
technologies cannot be overemphasized.

8.ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CM

Advantages and Drawbacks Confined masonry is a popular construction

technology in many countries. It is widely used for the following reasons:
• It is based on traditional masonry construction practice.
• It does not require highly qualified labour (as is the case with concrete frame
construction);
• Confined masonry technology falls in between that of unreinforced masonry
and RC frame construction, however due to its smaller member sizes and the
larger amount of reinforcement it is more cost-effective than concrete
construction.
• It has a broad range of application - it can be used for single-family houses as
well as for medium-rise apartment buildings.

The following disadvantages are associated with confined masonry

construction:
• Confined masonry construction is more expensive than unreinforced masonry
construction, however its earthquake performance is significantly better than
unreinforced masonry construction.
• A higher level of labour skills are required than in the case of unreinforced
masonry construction;
• It is characterized by a limited shear strength and ductility when compared
with RC frame construction and requires the use of a substantial wall density in
each direction.

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 9.CONCLUSION REMARKS
Conclusions Confined masonry buildings have performed well in several
earthquakes worldwide. This type of construction has a great potential for
saving lives and property in areas of high seismic risk in India. However, like
any other construction practice, good earthquake performance is based on the
following premises:
• Use of good quality materials,
• Good quality concrete and masonry construction, and
• Simple architectural design. It is expected that this simple guideline
featuring architectural design and construction of confined masonry buildings
will be useful to architects, builders and other parties involved in the building
construction.

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 REFERENCE
https://www.humanitarianlibrary.org/sites/default/files/2014/02/india_
confined-masonry.pdf

https://www.slideshare.net/kbogati/confined-masonry-overview

http://studiodentisticocrisafulli.it/journal/advantages-and-
disadvantages-of-confined-masonry-6b3616

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