Out-of-plane instability of reinforced masonry uniaxial specimens under reversed cyclic axial loading

Abstract

Results of a study performed on the out-of-plane instability of reinforced masonry shear walls (RMSW) under seismic loading are presented. The study was conducted to gain understanding of the out-of-plane instability mechanism and the key factors influencing its development through the testing of five reinforced masonry uniaxial specimens under reversed cyclic tension and compression. The specimens represented the end zone of a RMSW. The design parameters considered in the study included longitudinal reinforcement ratio and height-to-thickness ratio for the test specimens. It was found that onset of out-of-plane instability is strongly influenced by the level of tensile strains developed in the specimens, the reinforcement ratio, and the bar size. In this case, out-of-plane instability occurred when out-of-plane displacements exceeded the critical value equal to half the wall thickness. A study on full-scale RMSW specimens subjected to reversed cyclic loading, also undertaken under this research program, is expected to verify the findings of this study and contribute towards development of design criteria for out-of-plane stability of RMSW.