Design of masonry structures (General rules): Highlights of the new European masonry code

Abstract

Despite the wide use of masonry buildings in Europe, existing rules for its structural design remain very scattered and lacking in clarity and understandability. Furthermore, since the last version of Eurocode 6 – Part 1-1 (2005), many research on the structural behavior of masonry has been developed, in way that the specifications in the code need to be updated. Following the European Commission Mandate M/515, different subtasks were identified to be addressed in the new version of Eurocode 6 – Part 1-1, aimed to improve general aspects amongst the Eurocodes (e.g. reduction in NDPs and enhanced ease of use) and specific issues of masonry design (e.g. material properties and rules for reinforced masonry). There is still a long way to put the European codes in line with more recent design philosophies, like risk- and resilience-based design. Nevertheless, a significant evolution of Eurocode 6 – Part 1-1 has been achieved. At the current stage, this work is intended to give an overview of international masonry codes and present the main developments in the new version of the European masonry code. A discussion is also made on needs and ways for further improvement of the standard, in terms of code philosophy, research lines and technical aspects.