SCHMITT, MICHAEL1; GRAUBNER, CARL-ALEXANDER2

1) Ph.D. candidate M.Sc., Institute of Concrete Structures and Materials, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, schmitt@massivbau.tu-darmstadt.de

2) Prof. Dr.-Ing., Institute of Concrete Structures and Materials, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, graubner@massivbau.tu-darmstadt.de

This paper deals with the load carrying capacity of non-load-bearing infill walls subjected to wind loads. These panels are mainly stressed by out-of-plane biaxial bending. In general such non-load-bearing walls are supported by other structural elements like reinforced concrete columns and slabs, which activate membrane compressive stresses in an appreciable degree. This effect can raise the load carrying capacity significantly, but is not considered in structural design up to now. Therefore the design of non-load-bearing panels against wind loads according to current standards does not lead to an ecological and economical optimum. In this paper the results of theoretical considerations and numerical analysis concerning the load-carrying behaviour of infill walls with special focus on membrane compressive stresses are presented. Experimental results from publications are used for the verification of the numerical model. The aim of research is to quantify the effect of membrane compressive stresses and to adjust the existing design methods in order to receive more realistic results.

Keywords: membrane effects, membrane compressive stresses, constraint, horizontal bearing load, arching