Timber frame buildings are well known as an efficient seismic resistant structureand they are used worldwide. Moreover, they have been specifically adopted in codes andregulations during the XVIII and XIX centuries in the Mediterranean area. These structuresgenerally consist of exterior masonry walls with timber elements embedded which tie thewalls together and internal walls which have a timber frame with masonry infill and act asshearwalls. In order to preserve these structureswhich characterizemany cities in theworld itis important to better understand their behaviour under seismic actions. Furthermore, historictechnologies could be used even in modern constructions to build seismic resistant buildingsusing more natural materials with lesser costs. Generally, different types of infill could beapplied to timber frame walls depending on the country, among which brick masonry, rubblemasonry, hay and mud. The focus of this paper is to study the seismic behaviour of the wallsconsidering different types of infill, specifically: masonry infill, lath and plaster and timberframe with no infill. Static cyclic tests have been performed on unreinforced timber framewalls in order to study their seismic capacity in terms of strength, stiffness, ductility andenergy dissipation. The tests showed how in the unreinforced condition, the infill is able toguarantee a greater stiffness, ductility and ultimate capacity of the wall.
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