Improvement of Seismic Performance of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings using Steel Frames

This paper provides a criterion for the proportioning of a steel frame for the retrofit of an unreinforced masonry building. A standard model to parametrize the values of the seismic forces absorbed by the masonry structure and steel frame is defined. The main aspect of the paper concerns the proportioning of the stiffness of the steel frame and the size of the anchor under shear force that the masonry panel provides for the steel frame. The interactions between the masonry building and the steel frame are analyzed by means of a commercial finite element code