U. Schmidt¹, I. Beer² and W. Brameshuber³

1. Dipl.-Ing. Ulf Schmidt, Scientific employee and head of the working group “masonry” at the Institute of Building Materials Research, RWTH Aachen University
2. Dipl.-Ing. Ingo Beer, Scientific employee at the Institute of Building Materials Research, RWTH Aachen University
3. Professor Dr.-Ing Wolfgang Brameshuber, Director of the Institute of Building Materials Research, RWTH Aachen University

ABSTRACT

Evaluations of test results on the shear load bearing capacity of masonry have shown that in some cases clearly marked deviations exist between experimental test results and calculation formulae which are the basis of the design code in Germany. Within the scope of a research project carried out at the Institute of Building Materials Research, tests and numerical simulations were performed on the shear load bearing behaviour of masonry walls. In a large number of small-scale specimen tests the material laws for masonry units and the bonding properties between masonry unit and mortar were determined, in some cases inversely by Finite-Element-Calculation of the small-scale specimen tests. The experimental tests carried out on storey-high masonry walls of autoclaved aerated concrete, in which the inhomogeneity of the masonry was raised incremenentally, were simulated with the Finite-Element-Method. The results of the experimental tests and the simulations are in good conformity.

KEYWORDS: shear load bearing capacity, autoclaved aerated concrete, material laws, finiteelement-calculations

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