1) Phd, The National Research and Development Institute “URBAN-INCERCâ€, and European Centre for Buildings Rehabilitation, ECBR, Bucharest, Romania, E-mail: matei_claudiu2004@yahoo.com
The paper refers to the experimental program developed with the aim of evaluating the characteristics of masonry made with special elements and mortar for thin joints. In order to ensure the necessary characteristics, for using this masonry in the seismic area, a special program was developed. The experimental program was developed in three stages: determination of the characteristics at initial shear of masonry; determination of the masonry characteristics perpendicular to the wall-perpendicular and parallel to the joints. The main characteristics of masonry determined during the program implemented in concordance with the requirement of Romanian regulation P 100-1/2012 Code (National Annex at Eurocode 8) are: initial shear strength; out-of-plane bending strength characteristics, for masonry made with mineral mortar or polymeric mortar for thin joints. The P 100-1/2012 code requests the usage, in Vrancea earthquake area, of this type of masonry only if its characteristics are known and determined by tests.
Keywords: masonry, earthquake design code, test, characteristics, design values