EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON THE STRUCTURAL RESISTANCE OF MASONRY WALLS INCLUDING A THERMAL BREAK LAYER

Abstract

The implementation of highly demanding energy standards in Europe, aiming at houses with low energy consumption, has impacted the structural building systems and led to the introduction of non-homogeneous masonry walls (e.g. a bearing masonry wall including thermal break elements at the floor-wall joints to eliminate thermal bridges, [1], including in a same wall different types of masonry units). Further investigation on the interaction between masonry and thermal elements in terms of their influence on the local bearing resistance and stability of masonry walls is thus required. In this context, an experimental campaign on small and medium scale heterogeneous masonry specimens (stacked blocks and wallets) under uniaxial compression load with and without eccentricity has been carried out. Preparation of the experimental phase has been performed based on numerical models in which a mesoscopic modelling approach was followed [2]. The main focus is put on isolation layer made of aerated concrete. In this contribution, the experimental campaign is presented and the influence of the main relevant parameters on the structural resistance is discussed. The work is intended as a first step towards the improvement of the analytical Eurocode 6 calculation methods for the design of hybrid masonry walls.