Comparisons of confined and different types of reinforcement on the behavior of masonry shear walls

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents a comparison of results for shear walls: unreinforced (three walls), confined (six walls), and reinforced with two different types of reinforcements (four walls). Masonry walls made of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) had a thickness t = 0.18. Four series of different walls of the same length equal to l = 4.43 m and the height of h = 2.43 m were made and tested. Compressive strength of material masonry units and mortar for thin joints was equal to fb = 4.0 N/mm2 and fm = 6.1 N/mm2. Compressive strength of walls (according to EN 1052‐1:2000) was fc,mv = 2.97 N/mm2 and (fk = 2.48 N/mm2) and elastic modulus was Ecm = 2.040 N/mm2. Walls were tested at the same initial compressive stresses perpendicular to the plane of bed joints σc = 0.1, 0.75, and 1.0 N/mm2. In confined models, two external vertical cores and two horizontal beams were made and reinforced in accordance with the requirements of the European Standard EN‐1996‐1‐1. Steel truss‐type reinforcement and plastic grid placed in each bed joint were used in walls. The obtained values of stresses were compared at the time of cracking and destruction. The morphology of cracking and the mechanism of destruction were analyzed.