Structural reliability assessment of the compressive resistance of unreinforced masonry walls

Abstract

Structural safety and structural reliability are the main aspects that engineers have to take into consideration in the design of a structure. Every design of a structure has to take into account all the uncertainties related to material and geometric properties. Therefore, in recent years, a new field which tackles the reliability in structures was developed. The structural reliability of the elements that form local unreinforced masonry walls has never been thoroughly analysed. Consequently, on the basis of the collation of available statistical databases obtained from earlier dissertations and from local industrial laboratories, this dissertation studies the effect of uncertainties in the geometric and material properties of masonry units and mortar upon the compressive resistance of unreinforced masonry walls of varying thickness and aspect rations. The dissertation study utilizes a Level 2 structural reliability analysis approach based upon the First Order Reliability Method (FORM) and, wherever higher accuracy is required, a Second Order Reliability Method (SORM) will be employed. These structural reliability analyses will be carried out using industry standard software suitable for this purpose.