Verifying the Shear Load Capacity of Masonry Walls by the V Rd–N Ed Interaction Diagram

Abstract

Verification of shear load capacity is required for all shear walls that take horizontal wind loads, loads imposed by ground action or other non-mechanical (rheological or thermal) loads. Shear walls are exposed not only to shear forces, but also vertical actions caused by dead load or imposed loads as shear walls also usually function as bearing walls. This load combination is quite important as shear load capacity V Rd depends on mean design stresses σd which, in turn, depend on design forces N Ed. Interactions between shear V Rd and vertical load N Ed in shear walls are the consequence of observed combinations of actions in these types of walls. Additionally, the vertical load N Ed acts on the wall at certain eccentricity eEd, which can result in a change in the length of the compressed part of the cross-section l c. This paper describes the procedure for verifying shear load capacity by means of the interaction diagram drawn as specified in Eurocode 6 (prEN 1996-1-1:2017). Necessary equations for determining load-carrying capacity of cross-section against vertical load N Ed were worked out. The effect of wall shape and eccentricity of vertical load on the shape of the interaction diagram was analysed.