The purpose of this thesis is to validate the simplified method of analyzing masonry shear walls using models composed of struts and ties describing ultimate conditions, with the numerical results obtained from micro-modeling using finite elements.
In this thesis, the current methodology and standards being used in various national and international codes for the analysis of masonry shear walls are described and their shortcomings are discussed.
The principles and advantages of using the simplified method of analysis of masonry shear walls are also explained.
For validating the simplified models, computer simulations are carried out using the micro-modeling approach to calculate the ultimate shear capacity of the wall for different applied normal stresses and
different loading lengths. In addition to this, parametric analysis is carried out to understand the effect of material properties like friction angle, tensile strength and compressive strength of masonry. The
values obtained from micro-modeling are compared to the results obtained from simplified method of analysis.
A modified strut-tie model is proposed to explain the effect of friction angle of unit-mortar interface on the ultimate capacity of shear walls. At the end, the values of different parameters like friction angle, loaded length, and applied normal stress are tabulated, for which the simplified model using struts and ties can be safely applied.
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