Estimating the In-plane Load-bearing Capacity of Reinforced Masonry Walls Using a Simple Numerical Approach

Abstract

Accurately assessing the structural behavior of existing masonry structures is challenging. The characteristic properties of these structures, particularly the materials used in their construction, often exhibit significant variability. As a result, various assumptions must be made in numerical analyses to represent the structure, along with data obtained from experimental studies. Moreover, reinforcement applications introduce additional complexity into the numerical analysis process. In this study, a simplified method known as the truss model was tested to address this issue. This method, developed by the authors and validated in a previous article, was used to numerically evaluate various reinforcement applications in masonry walls selected from the literature. The investigation focused particularly on the in-plane load-bearing capacity of reinforced walls. In addition, the failure mechanisms and damage patterns of the walls were assessed. The results showed that the in-plane behavior of reinforced masonry walls, including load-bearing capacity and damage development, can be approximately determined using the proposed approach.