Study of impact of bed joint reinforcement on load-carrying capacity and crack resistance of masonry walls made of calcium silicate units

Abstract

This paper presents results from testing eight full-scale walls made of calcium silicate units. Tested walls were reinforced in the bed joint or unreinforced, with or without openings. The used reinforcement was steel truss type and fibreglass mesh coated with plastic. Tests also looked at the impact of reinforcement on load-carrying capacity and crack resistance in areas of stress concentration near openings, and at connection between perpendicular walls. Reinforcement was found to have a lower impact on load-carrying capacity, and a bigger impact on crack resistance of the masonry. The reinforcement effect on load-carrying capacity of walls reached ±10%. The flexible fibreglass mesh reinforcement caused an increase in load-carrying capacity of the lintel support zone, but did not have an impact on the load capacity of the zone of wall connections. The rigid steel reinforcement caused an increase in load-carrying capacity of the zone of wall connections, and a drop in the lintel support zone. Reinforcement in the spandrel area could increase the level of stress, at which a first crack occurred in the masonry, even by 70%. Cracking stresses at the connection between walls were even higher, up to 70–120%, due to the use of reinforcement.