Page 27 - Demo

AAC WORLDWIDE %u2022 3.2025 SCIENCE & INNOVATION 27Figure 3 shows an example of an appropriate structural configuration with spiral and longitudinal reinforcement for a continuous column integrated into the floor slabs.Earthquake resistant connection of partition wallsDue to significant earthquake-related damage to partition walls, the next generation of Eurocodes will require their performance under seismic actions perpendicular to their plane to be verified. This includes both the walls themselves and their connections to floor slabs or frames. The connections between the partition and the surrounding structural frame must be capable to resist the resulting horizontal forces caused by lateral seismic action effects. These connections should be distributed regularly along the perimeter of the partition, either on all sides or at least on two opposite sides. As the tensile strength of masonry cannot be considered, the bending stress in partition walls can only be verified by assuming an arching action within the wall, for which a stiff connection between the wall and the slab is required. The required rigid connection is usually achieved by grouting the joints at the base and top of the wall with full-surface contact using general-purpose masonry mortar with a characteristic compressive strength of 2.5%u00a0N/mm2 or thin layer mortar. However, in practice, this usually results in an inadequate filling due to mortar slipping through, uneven joint widths and the time-consuming nature of the process. If the remaining gap is filled with assembly foam, mineral wool or flexible acoustic profiles the result is a hinged (non-rigid) connection. In seismic regions, such hinged connections are only suitable to Fig. 3: Connection of integrated column to slab with spiral and longitudinal reinforcementFig. 4: Gapping with arching effect (left), triangular profile shape and installation of INODIS-P (right)