The behaviour of roof gable walls under the effect of earthquake load

Abstract. In this study, the effect of earthquake loads on roof gable walls and the behaviours of these roof gable walls are investigated. In preparation of the study, two experiments on cradle roof system which gets and does not get any loads off the roof members were carried out in all. The experiments were performed on the shaking table in Earthquake Research Department of General Directorate of Disaster Affairs. Through the experiments, some considerable results were obtained on the behaviours of roof gable walls under the effect of horizontal dynamic loads. The results obtained at the end of these examinations are given and discussed. Furthermore, suggestions to make the brick gable walls more reliable against the loads of earthquake are given. When the results of the experiments were generally taken into consideration, it was realized that the gable walls in both roof systems would partly or completely collapse even under the effect of a little horizontal dynamic load.