Cracked Nonlinear Masonry Stability under Vertical and Lateral Loads

Abstract

The analytical solutions for the deflections and for the critical load over which structural prismatic masonry collapses without reaching the compressive strength are presented. The analysis is developed by assuming that the member does not resist tensile forces and exhibits a nonlinear (monomial) gross stress‐strain relationship in compression and that the forces act with great eccentricity (cracked sections). The least square fit method is utilized to validate the nonlinear gross stress‐strain relationship. Dimensionless graphs providing the instability vertical (or lateral) load and the maximum deflection for a given lateral (or vertical) load and making it possible to analyze similar problems are presented for a set of exponents of the gross stress‐strain relationship. It is shown that solutions without lateral force and with linear behavior of the masonry is a particular case of the general solution here proposed. The reliability of the solution is validated by comparison with ample experimental data.