In-plane behavior of perforated brick masonry walls

Abstract

This paper reports the results of experimental and theoretical research conducted on perforated brick masonry walls under in-plane loading. The walls’ structural behavior depends strongly on their specific features, e.g. geometry, mechanical properties of the masonry material, brick arrangement and loading conditions. The experimental program was designed to study the incidence of brick arrangement in the spandrels and piers, and of the acting vertical load on the failure mode and load-bearing capacity of the walls. Six specimens of brick masonry wall with a central opening were submitted to a constant vertical load and a monotonic horizontal force that was gradually increased until the kinematic mechanism condition was reached. The object of the theoretical research was to develop a simplified analytical model for describing the kinematic mechanism of the walls. The results of the experiments indicate that brick arrangement strongly influences the failure mode and load-bearing capacity of the walls. Proper a priori assessment of the failure mode of walls becomes fundamental to an accurate evaluation of their load-bearing capacity using the proposed model.