Quasi-static monotonic and cyclic tests on composite spandrels

In modern unreinforced masonry (URM) walls, the vertical piers are connected at the storey levels by reinforced concrete (RC) ring beams or RC slabs. Particularly, in the outer walls, the spandrel element also includes a masonry spandrel on top of the RC beam or slab (“composite” spandrel). Numerical simulations have shown that spandrels significantly influence the global behavior of the URM building when subjected to seismic loading. Despite their importance, experimental data on the cyclic behavior of composite spandrels were lacking. This paper presents the results of an experimental campaign on five composite spandrels. Each test unit consisted of an RC beam, a masonry spandrel and the adjacent masonry piers required for applying realistic boundary conditions to the spandrel. The investigated parameters included the type of loading, the brick type and the reinforcement content of the RC beam.