Author
A.L. TAYLOR.
Acer Armand Safier
and S.K. ARORA,
Building Research Establishment

Abstract
The paper compares the calculation of the design resistance of masonry Halls according to the three codes for three of the most important conditions: vertical loadbearing capacity of unreinforced masonry nails; racking shear of unreinforced masonry wails: moment of resistance of reinforced masonry elements. The fundamental equations are the same in each code. However, whilst the rules for assessment of the values of individual components in the fundamental formulae produce comparatively small variations, the compound effect is to produce large differences in the calculated design capacity of typical masonry walls. The divergent results suggest that the design of safe masonry construction, as confidently recommended by engineers over a considerable number of years, cannot be reconciled with application of the codified formulae.