Author

ROBERTO CAPOZUCCA and ROBERTA MINNETTI
I.S.T.C. University of Ancona
Abstract

This paper aims to evaluate the influence of cyclic loads on the structural response of brickwork prestressed beams. In fact the reliability of brickwork beams is tied to the maintenance of the resistance capacity and integrity of masonry during service cyclic loads. A theoretical analysis of two brickwork prestressed beams preliminarily examined in the laboratory by bending loads up to failure has been carried out. The analysis was based on the results obtained from the compressive tests of masonry prisms subjected to monotonic and cyclic load. The constitutive laws of 3-course masonry prisms subjected to cyclic loads were determined by means of an experimental and theoretical procedure which is described in the paper. Finally the values of strain, stress and curvature of the prestressed beam sections obtained using the cyclic constitutive laws allowed the brickwork prestressed beams to be considered adequate during cyclic loading.