The Effect of Transversal Connection in the in-Plane Response of Double-Leaf Brick Masonry Walls

Abstract

Abstract The evaluation of structural safety derives from the knowledge of material properties. In case of existent masonry building, the definition of reliable mechanical parameters could be a very difficult task to be achieved. For this reason, an estimation of these values is useful, for example it is the first phase of the knowledge process, for simplified mechanical model or when NTD test is the only possibility.The transversal connection in masonry panels is a technological detail that affects the static and seismic behavior and could significantly increase the strength of the element.In this paper the effect of transversal connection in double-leaf brickwork masonry panels is evaluated by diagonal compression tests. To achieve this goal, a new set-up was designed to load each leaf independently.The results have shown an increment of about 20% in strength if transversal connection is present. If the leaves have very different mechanical parameters, the tests highlight an unexpected behavior.