Author
W JÄGER, G BAIER and T VASSILEV
Chair of Structural Design, Dresden University of Technology

Abstract
The realistic evaluation of the bearing capacity of vertically loaded walls requires an accurate assessment of the load eccentricity at the top and the bottom of the wall. Due to the restricted rotation of the floor-slabs, bending moments are induced into the wall. The European codes propose for their calculation the simplified model given in Annexe C of EN 1996-1-1. As a result of experimental and numerical investigations, a more precise and detailed theoretical model for the calculation of these moments was developed. The most essential characteristic of the model is the implementation of rotational springs at the slab wall connection with variable bending stiffness, allowing the consideration of effects depending on the level of vertical loading, the bond properties and the joint fixity. The mathematical expressions for the calculation are based on the Generalized Displacement Method. The stiffness parameters of the implemented rotational springs are defined by the functional relation of the transmitted bending moment and the relative rotation between the connected members. The determination of such a function and the use of the model were exemplified at two slab wall connections, investigated during experimental tests. The approach can be applied to several material-parameters as well as load and geometry combinations.