Research Information System
10th Turkish Conference on Earthquake Engineering, İstanbul, Turkey, 8 - 10 October 2025, pp.1-9, (Full Text)
Infill walls constructed with brittle materials are often neglected in structural design in terms of stiffness and strength. These walls interact with structural elements such as columns and beams during earthquakes, which may cause the structure to behave differently than it was originally designed. The flexible connection detail recommended in the Turkish Building Earthquake Code-2018 (TBEC-2018) enables the separation of infill walls from structural elements, aiming to reduce wall damage caused by light to moderate earthquakes. This study aims to experimentally investigate the flexible connection detail between the infill wall and the structural frame, as recommended in TBEC-2018, in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions. This detail helps minimize structural irregularities such as soft or weak stories and short columns induced by infill walls, while also reducing wall damage. Additionally, gaining a better understanding of the in-plane and out-of-plane behavior of infill walls under seismic effects is crucial for the development of earthquake-resistant structures. In this study, two full-scale (1:1) plastered brick infill wall specimens, each measuring 3 m × 2.5 m, were constructed: one with a conventional connection and the other incorporating a flexible connection detail. The walls were tested within a steel frame anchored to a strong floor, subjected to cyclic loading in the in-plane direction and monotonic loading in the out-of-plane direction. The experimental results showed that the specimen with the flexible connection detail maintained its structural integrity even at large displacements. Furthermore, in the in-plane direction, the flexible connection specimen demonstrated superior structural performance compared to the conventional infill wall specimen, while damage progression was delayed in the out-of-plane direction.