Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Canada has active seismic zones in its western and eastern regions. Buildings located in these areas are prone to severe damage or collapse if they are not designed and detailed to perform well under seismic hazard. Despite the considerable size of the reinforced concrete masonry (RCM) construction industry, there has been limited research that investigates the seismic performance of new RCM systems. Reinforced concrete masonry shear walls are typically used in medium- to high-rise masonry buildings as part of the seismic force-resisting system (SFRS) to provide the lateral strength, stiffness, and energy dissipation capacity required to resist the lateral loads arising from earthquakes. For both new and existing RCM buildings, there is a vital need to develop novel and creative engineering solutions to safeguard society against potential structural seismic failures. The long-term objective of the applicant's research program is to advance the understanding of the seismic behaviour of masonry structures, and utilize that understanding to develop models, design tools, and code provisions to facilitate the development, design, and construction of sustainable and seismic hazard-resilient masonry buildings. In the short-term, the applicant will focus on two research axes: (1) The seismic design and detailing of RCM buildings; and (2) The seismic retrofit of reinforced concrete masonry buildings. The specific research within these two axes will focus on RCM shear walls to: (1.a) Evaluate the behaviour of RCM boundary elements under cyclic axial strains; (1.b) Develop code provisions for the detailing of RCM shear walls with boundary elements, specifically, the interface between the wall's web and the boundary element, the strain distribution in the wall's web, and the lap splicing of vertical reinforcements in the web and in the boundary element; (1.c) Develop design recommendations for the gravity walls and vertical extents of boundary elements in ductile RCM shear walls; (2.a) Develop seismic retrofit methods for shear critical reinforced critical masonry walls using fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites; and (2.b) Develop code provisions for retrofitting deficient RCM walls. This research program will make significant contributions to enhancing the seismic performance of new and retrofitted RCM buildings. This improved seismic performance will result in significant socio-economic benefits to Canada, as it will enhance seismic hazard safety for Canadians. The experimental tests will provide a timely, valuable, and diversified database and benchmark that will significantly contribute to the development of the CSA S304 2024 design standard and the NBCC 2025 code edition. The outcomes of this research program will result in new fundamental knowledge, advancements in construction practices, code design provisions and specific detailing requirements, in addition to the specialized training of highly qualified engineers and researchers.