ABSTRACT
The design of reinforcement in masonry beams is straight forward. A few, relatively small diameter bars in one or two bottom layers is often sufficient to form a tie while in the masonry compressive struts develop. Masonry beams with a height of 490 mm, 550 mm or 625 mm and a span of 1350 mm, with and without extra bed joint reinforcement were tested. In a number of cases, bed joint reinforcement with a closed hoop configuration was applied. The chapter focuses on the effect of bed joint reinforcement in the neutral zone on load bearing capacity for which shear is considered the main characteristic. Bed joint reinforcement hardly increases the load at which first considerable cracking starts. In a numerical study several subjects need to be investigated, like the interaction of bed joint reinforcement with joint mortar and the effects of placing reinforcement on mortar-brick bond.
