Author

SCHMIDT, U.
Materialprüfungs- und Versuchsanstalt Neuwied
HANNAWALD, J. and BRAMESHUBER, W.
RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Building Materials Research (ibac)

Abstract

At the Institute of Building Materials Research (ibac) of RWTH Aachen University, Germany, extensive experimental and theoretical investigations on the flexural strength of masonry were conducted. The aim was to derive appropriate calculation approaches taking into account the substantial material parameters of the units and the mortar as well as the geometrical boundary conditions. As a first step the material properties of masonry units and bond to mortar especially the post-failure behaviour, were determined on small-size specimens with newly developed test setups and methods. The material laws determined formed the basis for the parameters for the FE simulations carried out on masonry walls. In experimental tests on small masonry walls the inhomogeneity of the masonry was increased step by step and the main influences on the load resistance behaviour were characterised. Finite Element Models of the masonry walls were developed and calibrated according to the results of the wall tests. In parametric studies the influence of different material properties and geometric boundary conditions (filled/unfilled head joints, different overlaps and masonry thicknesses) on the stress distribution and the flexural strength of the masonry were analysed. On the basis of the experimental and numerical results calculation approaches for masonry walls under flexural load were derived.

Key words
Material laws, numerical simulation, test, torsion, flexural tensile strength,