Experimental and analytical response of masonry elements under eccentric vertical loads

The flexural behaviour of masonry rectangular cross-sections is studied in order to characterize the mechanical behaviour of structural elements under axial eccentric loads by means of a proper law. First the experimental response of walls under vertical centred loads is observed and a stress–strain law depending on two parameters is given in order to fit the experimental results. Subsequently the behaviour of walls nominally equal to the walls mentioned before is investigated under eccentric vertical loads, and the response is observed in terms of moment–curvature relation. To this point a comparison is made between the moment–curvature response obtained experimentally and the moment–curvature response obtained by means of the stress–strain law given, in the hypothesis of a plane strained section. Once the accuracy of the model is proved, the limit domain of the cross-section is calculated in order to be used for practical applications.