ABSTRACT
A numerical method has been developed for calculating the lower bound limit load of unreinforced masonry shear walls. The proposed method is an extension of the earlier lower bound formulations for limit analysis of jointed rock and reinforced earth. In many ways, both of these two materials have a similar behavior to unreinforced masonry. While jointed rock and reinforced earth may be treated as an anisotropic, homogenous media, the unreinforced masonry composite must be treated as an anisotropic, inhomogeneous material due to the discontinuity of the vertical head joints. The overall behavior of the masonry is controlled by several characteristics including the mechanical properties of the intact unit (brick/block) and the discontinuities or joints, as well as the relative position and orientation of the joint sets. Two simple examples are given in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the procedure for computing lower bound solutions for the in-plane behavior of unreinforced masonry walls.
