May 2009
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2 Citations
Framed buildings in India are provided with unreinforced masonry infills to provide privacy and insulation from heat and noise. Although, these infills are known to get damaged during earthquakes, resulting in injury and economic losses, these are generally treated as non-structural elements and are ignored in the design of buildings. IS codes also do not provide adequate guidelines for seismic safety of infills. This paper reviews the provisions of various national codes for seismic design of infills, and presents design aids in terms of safe height to thickness ratios in different seismic zones for the desired performance levels. Different techniques to improve the seismic safety of infills have also been presented with construction details. These aids can be conveniently used by the designers.