Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Masonry walls subjected to mainly vertical loading are commonly analyzed using simplified member models, although in reality they behave as shell structures with varying boundary conditions. Their stability is strongly influenced by the support conditions along vertical edges and the stiffness of connections to perpendicular walls, both of which affect the effective height of the wall. Based on the provisions of Eurocode 6 and experimental studies on wall connections made of AAC masonry units, an original procedure is proposed for incorporating support flexibility into the determination of the reduction factor ρₙ and the effective height. Nomograms were developed to determine ρₙ as a function of wall slenderness and the joint stiffness ratio ψ. The procedure was applied to walls with different static schemes and connection types. The results demonstrate that accounting for connection flexibility enables a more realistic assessment of wall stability and load-bearing capacity, while reducing excessive conservatism in design calculations.
Source: Inżynier Budownictwa
Authors: Radosław Jasiński, Iwona Galman
Institution: Silesian University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7225391327