Failure Criterion and Behavior of Brickwork in Biaxial Bending

Abstract

The paper describes a novel method for determining the failure criterion of masonry in biaxial bending. The conventional failure theories are not applicable to masonry that exhibits both strength and stiffness orthotropies. The failure criterion has been established from a novel test described in this paper. It appears that the weaker direction cracks in flexure first, in many cases, and the load is then shed to the stronger direction. Final failure happens only after the stronger direction fails in flexure. The cracking and failure in biaxial bending is predicted by the equations given in this paper.