EVALUATION OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF MASONRY WALLS BY LIMIT ANALYSIS

Work is reported in which an evaluation of the bearing capacity is performed by superimposing a field of fundamental stresses that is balanced with the assigned compressive load, and plane fields that are balanced with null forces. This technique provides only the lower limit of the collapse load. The model reproduces closely the qualitative features of the rupture behavior of masonry described by experimental results reported in the literature. The rupture model described justifies the following features of the rupture behavior of masonries: collpse occurs due to tensile rupture of the mortar/brick complex and not due to the compression of the mortar joints; improvement of mortar quality results in only limited variations of the collapse load; and an excessive thickness of mortar joints considerably reduces the masonry strength.

• Availability:
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• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  345 East 47th Street
  New York, NY  United States  10017-2398
• Authors:
  • BIOLZI, L
• Publication Date: 1988-10

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 2179-89
• Serial:
  • Journal of Structural Engineering
  • Volume: 114
  • Issue Number: 10
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 0733-9445
  • Serial URL: http://ascelibrary.org/loi/jsendh

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bearing capacity; Brick; Collapse; Compressive strength; Masonry construction; Mathematical models; Mortar; Rock fracture; Stresses; Ultimate load design; Walls
• Uncontrolled Terms: Models
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00476258
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 30 1988 12:00AM