Validation of a simplified model for the design of masonry infilled frames

Abstract

The design of masonry infills is an issue that has attracted the attention of several researchers in the past, both from the experimental and analytical points of view. Nevertheless, the results are often questionable due to the large variability of masonry properties, the limited number of tests carried out and the large number of influencing factors. This paper addresses this limitation by using numerical analysis as a simulation of an experimental laboratory, and by performing a sensitivity analysis about the influence of the different influence factors. The modelling approach has been validated using the experimental results of two masonry walls subjected to horizontal loading. The parametric study subsequently carried out allowed to propose a strut-and-tie model that provides a novel simplified expression for the failure of infill walls belonging to frames subjected to horizontal loading. The proposed model is compared with other models available in the literature exhibiting superior performance and constituting a simple and versatile tool for design.