Dynamic response of reinforced interlocking brick wall under impact loading

Abstract

Brick walls are prevalently utilized as load-bearing elements in low-rise edifices or serve as infill walls within reinforced concrete and steel frameworks. The interlocking brick, an inventive structural variant, boasts appealing features including enhanced structural performance and expedited construction, among others. This study probes the dynamic response exhibited by reinforced interlocking brick walls when subjected to impact loads, drawing insights from laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and simplified Single-Degree-of-Freedom (SDOF) analysis. Laboratory impact tests were first carried out on a mortar-less reinforced interlocking brick wall using pendulum impact system. The deformation processes and damage modes of interlocking brick wall pertinent to low-velocity impact loads were studied. Subsequently, a comprehensive numerical model was developed in LS-DYNA, which was validated against laboratory testing data. Numerical simulations were utilized to better understand the load transfer and stress concentration around shear keys of interlocking bricks when subjected to impact loading. Comparison was made between interlocking brick walls and conventional concrete masonry unit walls when subjected to impact loadings. Last but not least, a SDOF model is generated and validated with laboratory testing data for engineering design. Parametric study is conducted to examine the influences of wall height, wall thickness, reinforcement ratio and brick material strength on the impact resistance capacity of interlocking brick wall when subjected to out-of-plane impact loading.