Assessment of the shear capacity of Maltese masonry wall assemblages through diagonal shear testing

Abstract

The masonry wall may be considered to be the oldest form of load bearing typology used in construction. Although, throughout the ages, particularly in most recent times, other forms of construction technologies have been devised and introduced, structural masonry walls still feature, to a large degree, in most building and infrastructural engineering works, the world over. The importance of the masonry wall as a structural element, is even more evident in the local context, where the great majority of buildings, consist predominantly of low and medium rise buildings, featuring load bearing wall construction typologies. The strength in compression and the shear capacity of load bearing wall elements are the two most important structural characteristics of masonry wall assemblages. This research work, based on laboratory testing, deals specifically with the latter aspect, i.e., the in-plane shear strength of masonry walls. The method used in testing for the shear strength of masonry walls, is in accordance with ASTM E519M-15 Four wall typologies - scaled down to one half the normal size - that are representative of local construction practice have been tested. These include; 1. Globigerina limestone blockwork masonry wall assemblages using a traditional "Xahx" mortar 2. Globigerina limestone blockwork masonry wall assemblages using an EC 6 M5 type mortar 3. Hollow concrete masonry blockwork wall assemblages using EC 6 M5 type mortar 4. lnfilled hollow concrete masonry blockwork wall assemblages using EC 6 M5 type mortar Three specimens of each of the four typologies were tested. The shear strength capacities of the tested walls, calculated using the method outlined in the standard, correlate well with results obtained from similar research work conducted overseas on similar wall typologies, and are also consistent with the values recommended in EC 6.