Flexural Behavior of Confined Masonry Walls Subjected to In-Plane Lateral Loads
Results of a study on the flexural behavior of confined masonry walls are presented. Six walls were tested in a laboratory under reverse cyclic loads. The variables studied were the wall aspect ratio and wall axial compressive stress. The behavior of walls was characterized by yielding of the longitudinal steel reinforcement of vertical confining elements followed by vertical and diagonal cracks on the masonry panel. The failure of walls was associated with crushing concrete of vertical confining elements. Flexural strength increased as the wall aspect ratio decreased or the wall axial compressive stress increased. The flexural strength of walls was validated using flexural theory. A displacement ductility capacity of 6 and a drift ratio capacity of 1% were proposed for the walls. A hysteretic model based on four parameters was calibrated. This model represented well the flexural behavior of the studied walls.