Behavior of masonry loadbearing walls

Abstract EN

-Loadbearing masonry walls are slender compression elements subjected to in and out-of-plane bending.

The static behaviour of such elements is studied and a computer program (DESW) for their analysis and design is developed so that it is possible to perform parametric study on wall systems.

The parametric study can include the effect of wall dimensions, slab type, percentage ofsolid area, mortar bedded area, area of grout, type of masonry (brick or block), artd the percentage of vertical reinforcement.

It is concluded that the hollow wall section, in which grouted cells and steel bars are placed one meter apart with face shell mortar bedding, is the most proper system for low and medium-rise masonry buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.