Masonry panels with different bed-joint reinforcement ratios under diagonal compression: An experimental and numerical study
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Date
2025
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Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
Abstract
Masonry made of Multi-Perforated Clay Bricks (MPCLB) has a complex mechanical behavior due to the geometry of the units, especially under shear forces. The behavior becomes even more complex when masonry contains steel bars embedded in bed joints, as occurs in reinforced masonry and, to a lesser extent, confined masonry. Despite the devoted research effort, the interaction between masonry and joint reinforcement remains incompletely understood and characterized. Therefore, further research is required to evaluate the shear behavior of masonry with reinforcement embedded in mortar joints. This work presents new evidence on the shear behavior of masonry panels with varying joint reinforcement ratios and anchorage conditions, which were tested under diagonal compression. The experimental research was complemented by numerical modeling, utilizing both micro- and macro-modeling approaches. The shear strength of the panels ranged from 0.71 to 1.14 MPa, and the shear modulus between 1262.6 and 4110.2 MPa. It was found that changing the reinforcement ratio in panels did not significantly influence the shear strength, shear strength strain, shear modulus, failure mode, and pre-peak shear stress-strain of the experimentally tested panels. Additionally, both modelling approaches are suitable for reproducing the initial stiffness, shear strength, and failure mode of unreinforced and reinforced panels. However, detailed micro-modelling overpredicts the shear modulus of unreinforced panels. The models also corroborate experimental observations, noting that increments in shear reinforcement produced variations in load capacity of less than 5 %, but improved the post-peak integrity of the panels.
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Keywords
Reinforced masonry, Clay brick, Diagonal compression, Shear strength, Joint reinforcement