Author
ROCA, P.; LOBATO, M.; VIVIESCAS, Á.; VILLALBA, V.
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Departament d’Enginyeria de la Construcció

Abstract
A method to estimate the ultimate capacity of walls subjected to in-plane forces is presented. The method uses strut-and-tie models to represent the combination of the compression and tension stress fields mobilised at the ultimate condition. General rules for the construction of the models are presented together with specific solutions for solid or hollow walls subjected to different load conditions. The method distinghishes between primary models, including ties to represent masonry in tension, and secondary or residual models, built with no ties. The performance of the proposed models is analysed by comparison with experimental results for solid and hollow brick masonry walls subjected to different load or support conditions. The models have been also validated by comparison with a large amount of numerical results generated on-purpose by means of a detailed micromodel.

Key words
Masonry wall, shear wall, limit analysis, lower-bound theorem, simple model, micro-modelling