Capacity of shear walls by simple equilibrium models

Abstract

A novel method is presented for the determination of the ultimate capacity of masonry solid shear walls based on simple models resulting from equilibrium considerations. Some basic principles determining the acceptability of the models are firstly stated. Based on these rules, specific models are proposed for solid shear walls subjected to either distributed or concentrated loading. The performance of the models and their applicability for the estimation of the ultimate capacity is shown by comparison with experimental results and advanced numerical simulation. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.