Abstract
Masonry infills are frequently used as interior partitions and exterior walls in buildings. They are usually treated as nonβstructural elements, and their interaction with the bounding frame is often ignored in design. The performance of such structures during an earthquake has attracted major attention. Even though frameβinfill interaction has sometimes led to undesired structural performance, recent studies have shown that a properly designed infilled frame can be superior to a bare frame in terms of stiffness, strength, and energy dissipation. A number of different analytical models have been developed to evaluate infilled structures. Nevertheless, most of the models proposed today have been validated with limited experimental data, and they have often yielded different performances when compared with recent test data. Limit analysis methods that can account for a variety of possible failure modes seem to be the most promising approach. However, these methods need to be further refined and validated in a systematic manner before they could be used in engineering practice. Sophisticated finite element models have also been developed to analyse infilled structures. While these models are general and widely applicable to different types of infilled frames, they should be used with caution because they could be easily misused and lead to unconservative results. This paper summarizes some of the recent findings and developments on the behaviour and modelling of infilled structures, and provides thoughts for future research.