Innovative Clay Unit Reinforced Masonry System: Testing, Design and Applications in Europe

In the framework of a recent EU funded research project, innovative construction systems for clay unit reinforced masonry walls were developed and tested. In particular, one system was developed for low-rise residential buildings, whereas the other system was aimed at building mainly tall, load bearing reinforced masonry walls for one-storey high commercial and industrial buildings. In the first case, experimental tests were carried out to understand the cyclic in-plane behavior of real-scale walls under shear and compression. In the second case, tests were aimed at studying the cyclic out-of-plane behavior of 6 m high walls subject to P-Δ effects. Test results allowed gathering information on the efficiency of the systems, and to check the reliability and calibrate code proposed limitations and formulations for design and assessment of such structural systems. Different types of non-linear models (a FE continuum micro-model; an analytical hysteretic model; a FE macro-model implementing non-linear moment-curvature relationships) were calibrated and used to carry out parametric analyses, to investigate the influence of various parameters.