Three-Dimensional Failure Analysis of Composite Masonry Walls

Results of three-dimensional (3D) finite-element failure analysis of composite masonry walls subjected to both vertical and horizontal loads are presented in this paper. The wall is modeled by using eight-noded solid elements and cracking at the interfaces is defined by a simple Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The smeared crack technique is used to model the cracks. It is shown that cracking in the collar joint is initiated at a much smaller magnitude of the horizontal inplane load compard to the vertical load. This phenomenon may be attributed to the relatively high rigidity of the wall in the vertical direction. The failure loads for composite walls are computed using the 3D analysis and are compared with those obtained from an approximate method and experimental values. It is shown that the computed failure loads follow the same trend as the experimental results.