Author

L.T. SOH (1), P. MORRIS (2), P. DUX (3), P. MULLINS (4)

(1) School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland, Qld 4072. Ph: +61 7 33653520 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +61 7 33653520 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Fax: +61 7 33654599. Email: uqlsoh@uq.edu.au

(2) School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland, Qld 4072. Ph: +61 7 33653518 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +61 7 33653518 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Fax: +61 7 33654599. Email: p.morris@uq.edu.au

(3) School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland, Qld 4072. Ph: +61 7 33653619 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +61 7 33653619 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Fax: +61 7 33654599. Email: p.dux@uq.edu.au

(4) Mullins Consulting Pty Ltd, Indooroopilly, Qld 4068. Ph: +61 7 38785611 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +61 7 38785611 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Email: mullinsconsulting@bigpond.com

Abstract

Several researchers have shown experimentally that grouted blockwork masonry walls under axial compression fail by separation of the face shell from the grout core, that is, by a splitting failure. This paper reports elastic finite element analyses conducted using the program LUSAS to identify the critical stress distribution leading to failure. The analyses show that splitting occurs as a result of the lateral horizontal tensile stresses that arise due to the different stiffnesses of the concrete block, grout and mortar comprising the blockwork. It is also shown that imperfections such as internal voids and cracks, and mortar intrusions into the grout increase these stresses. In addition, unrestrained vertical and horizontal reinforcement are shown to have no significant effect on the horizontal stresses that cause the splitting failure, although vertical reinforcement does increase the compressive load at which this failure occurs.

Key words

Masonry, blockwork, walls, reinforcement, compression