ABSTRACT
The shear strength of confined masonry walls is estimated with a new set of expressions. Unlike other procedures, the masonry strength, including the contribution of the axial force is dependent on the amount of transverse reinforcement. The confining elements improve the non-linear displacement capacity and shear strength of the wall panels. Several factors affect the shear strength due to the masonry, critically the axial strength of the units and the mortar which have been correlated to masonry's shear strength due to tension, or, alternatively, to the diagonal compressive strength evaluated directly through specific tests, the diagonal compressive test of small walls. Consequently, it is considered more appropriate that when no horizontal reinforcement is present, the design shear strength be that of the cracking strength, while if there is horizontal reinforcement, the design shear strength is the maximum shear strength of the wall.
