Assessment of the in-plane shear strength of stone masonry walls by simplified models

Abstract

The present work intends to represent a further step in the knowledge of ancient stone masonry walls through an experimental approach, from which only few information is available. The main results of an experimental program based on in-plane static cyclic tests conduct on masonry wall panels with distinct masonry bond are presented. It is also revealed that simplified models, often used to predict the lateral shear strength of brick masonry walls submitted to static in-plane lateral loading, are also valid for stone masonry walls. Besides, the prediction of the lateral strength by means of a novel equilibrium model is also pointed out.