653

FLEXURAL STRENGTH OF JOINT REINFORCED BLOCK MASONRY WALLS

by

Ahmad A. Hamid Catherine Chia

Assoc. Professor of Civil Engineering Structural Engineer
Drexel University Yardley Consultants Inc.
Philadelphia, PA, USA Yardley, PA, USA

Harry G. Harris
Professor of Civil Engineering
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

ABSTRACT

Wire bed joint reinforcement has been used over the years for
control of cracks due to temperature and shrinkage, for continuity in
multiple wythe walls and to satisfy arbitrary minimum code
requirements in the horizontal direction. However, the structural
significance of joint reinforcement in block masonry walls is not
well established. This pape r presents an experimental study of the
strength of horizontally spanning joint reinforced block masonry
walls under out-of-plane lateral loading. Three wall panels were
tested to determine the effect of amount of horizontal
reinforcement on the wall cracking moment and flexural stength. It
is concluded that joint reinforcement does not influence the
cracking load but the flexural strength, however, is increased
depending on the type and spacing of the reinforcing steel.
 654

INTRODUCTION

Wire bed joint reinforcement has been used over the years for crack
control due to temperature and shrinkage (1, 2), for continuity in
multiple wythe walls (3-5) and even to satisfy arbitrary minimum
co de requirements in the horizontal direction. However, the
structural significance of joint reinforcement in block masonry
walls, particularly for seismic resistance, is not well established .
There has been relatively few documented tests (6-14) addressing
the function of joint reinforcement in masonry walls . The test
results indicate that its contribution to load carrying capacity
ranges from -10 to 300 percent. This wide range is attributed to
variation in. material and geometric properties as well as
construction details. Test data are scarce and conflicting. Ali
available data are for vertically unreinforced walls, and as such
does not represent reinforced masonry wall behavior. Also, the
tests were conducted under force control which cannot predict the
post-yield behavior required to determine wall ductility. A
comprehensive experimental program was conducted at Orexel
University to investigate the effects of amount and type of
reinforcement, block size, bond type, grouting, and geometric
parameters on the behavior of horizontally spanned joint reinforced
walls using displacement control input. Results of three walls
tested to determine the effect of amount of joint reinforcement on
wall flexural capacity are presented.

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM

Materiais
The materiais used in the construction of the walls are typical of
those commonly used in building construction in the United States.

Concrete Blocks: The physical and mechanical properties of

the 6 in. nominal hollow concrete blocks used are listed in Table 1.

Morta r: Cement-lime mortar consisting of 1 part Type I

Portland cement, 3/8 part hydrated lime, and 3-1/2 parts sand,
conforming to requirements for type S mortar described in ASTM
C270-82 (15), was used in the construction of the wall panels. An

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averag e water/cement ratio of 0.74 was used to obtain the average

initial flow of 110 percent. Cylindrical control specimens 2-in.
diameter by 4 in. high were obtained following procedures similar to
ASTM C109-80 (15). The cylinders were air-cured alongside the
companion walls and tested under axial compression at
approximately the same age as the walls. The average compressive
strength obtained for the mortar specimens was 2890 psi.

TABLE 1
Properties of Concrete Masonry Units

Description ASTM Property

Density, pcf C140-75 102

Absorption, pcf C140-75 11.0
0/0 10.8
Moisture Content, % C140-75 3.83
Initial Rate of Absorption, C67-83
gm/min/30 in. 2 43.9
Saturation Coefficient C67-83 0.721
Axial Compressive Strength, psi, C140-75
for Net Area 2920
for Gross Area 1550
Splitting Tensile Strength, psi C1006-84 280

Grout: Coarse grout consisting of 1 part Type 11 Portland

cement, 3 parts sand and 2 parts 3/8-in. pea gravei; conforming to
the requirements described in ASTM C476-83 (15), was used in the
construction of the wall panels. A grout aid from Sika Corporation
(Sika mix 119/120) was premixed in the water and added to the
base mix to provide a more workable grout (9-10 in. slump) which is
easy to pour and consolidate. Core drilled cylinders 1-3/4-in.
diameter by 3-1/2 in. high were used as control specimens. The
average compressive strength of the grout was 1790 psi.

Reinforcement: Prefabricated truss type wire reinforcement

from Dur-O-Wal, Inc. conforming to ASTM A82-79 (16) was used as
horizontal reinforcement. Properties of the two types (standard and
 656

extra heavy) are listed in Table 2.

TABLE 2
Properties of Joint Reinforcement

Type

Description Standard Extra Heavy

Yield Strength, psi 98100(a)

, 97,700(a)
Ultimate Strength, psi 103,000 102,000
Modulus of Elasticity, psi 29 ,700 ,000 28,700,000
Strain, in./in 0.005(b) 0.005(b)
Reduction in Area, % 48.7 47.5
Elongation, % 2.3 2.3

(a) at 0.5% extension under load (b) at yield load

Test Specimens
Three wall panels of four courses high by 5 units long were
constructed in running bond with face shell mortar bedding . The
typical panel was made up of three full courses in addition to a half
course at the bottom and at the top (see Figure 1), to represent a
typical wall strip cut from center-of-block to center-of-block. The
panel size was 32 in . wide by 80 in . long. Horizontal reinforcement
was present in the three walls (W1, W2, W3) in the following
configurations , . respectively:

a) standard Dur-O-Wal Truss placed in every course,

b) standard Dur-O-Wal Truss placed in every other course,
c) extra heavy Dur-O-Wal Truss placed in every course.

The amount of horizontal reinforcement ranged from 0.056 percent

(Iess than code minimum requirement) to 0.16 percent (greater than
code minimum requirement). The quantity of steel reinforcement
used was based generally on the guidelines presented in the 1985
UBC (17) and the 1983 ACI 531-79 (18) , which specify the minimum
amount of wall reinforcement in either the vertical or horizontal
direction to be 0 .07 percent of the respective gross cross-sectional
 657

~I
80"
1-

Dur-Q-Wa 1
(Typ . )
#4 Rebar
(Typ . )

(a) Joint reinforcement every course

(Walls Wl and W3)

Dur-O-Wal
(Typ.)
#4 Rebar
(Typ.)

(b) Joint reinforcement every other course

(Wall W2)

Figure 1. Test specimens

 658

area of the wall. In addition, the sum of the percentages of vertical

and horizontal reinfo rcement is specified to be at least 0.2 percent.
Four No. 4 bars (0 .18%) we re used for vertical reinforcement.
Grouting was performed at 2-ft intervals at the hollow cores that
contained the vertical reinforcement.

Test Set-up and Instrument ation

The walls were simply supported at the end and had a span of 74 in .
from centerline to centerline of the supports (one pinned and the
other roller support) . Two equal line loads, transverse to the span
length, were applied to the face of each wall (with the wall in a
vertical position) at the third points . Deflection and strain
instrumentation were placed at specific locations on the walls.
Figure 2 shows a schematic of the experimental set-up. A 55 kips
MTS hydraulic actuator was operated under displacement control at
a constant rate through a computer-based measurement and control
system. Data acquisition was carried out on the the same computer
system. A displacement ramp was appl ied slowly and load was
measured by the actuator precision load cell.

DISCUSSION OF TEST RESULTS

Crack Pattern and Mode of Failure

Crack patterns of the three walls are shown in Figure 3. The basic
pattern of cracking was one of head joints separation and vertical
splitting of the masonry units on the tension face. Cracking
occurred first in the mortar joints at low loads in the constant
moment region between the lines of applied load . The cracks then
propagated into the face-shell area in the same region. Once the
crack pattern in the pure moment region had been established, load
redistribution in the wall panel occurred , as evidenced by the
appearance of a set of vertical cracks just beyond the pure moment
region. The load at which these cracks in the shear span occurred
was close to the failure load. Failure was preceeded by widening of
cracks with no further addition to the crack pattern . A loud
snapping noise was heard shortly after the ultimate load was
reached in the wall panels indicating the rupture of the joint
reinforcement.
 659

í
Support Tube (Typ.)
r-- J
Wall Panel
r
,.-!-
Load Tube (Typ.)
r- f-
Distribution
r Beam

~
N
M

~
-
/L '--
HydraullC Actuator
I, 80"
.1
(a) Elevation view (not to scale)

Hydraulic Actuator
Strain Instrumentation Beam

Wall Panel

Roller
Support
Instrumentation
25"
I- 24" .1 e 25" ~I I
3"

(b) Top view (not to scale)

Figure 2. Test set-up

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SlAZH<Rl9 '\ I

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 661

Wall Flexural Strength

The ultimate loads of the three walls are given in Table 3. Ultimate
load increased when the amount of horizontal reinforcement in the
wall increased, and joint reinforcement increased the flexural
strength over walls without joint reinforcement. For walls without
joint reinforcement the ultimate strength is assumed to be the
cracking strength of the masonry assemblage. In comparing the
ultimate load with the cracking load, it is found that joint
reinforcement in every course increased the flexural strength by
220 to 280 percent depending on the type of reinforcement
(standard or extra heavy) and joint reinforcement in every other
course increased the flexural strength by just 64 percent (Table 3).

TABLE 3
Summary of Test Results

Wall % Steel Pcr(lbs) Pu(lbs) PiPcr

W2 0.056 1030 1700 1.64

W1 0.11 938 3010 3.20
W3 0.16 1290 4910 3.80

CONCLUSIONS

The following conclusions are drawn from observation of the tests

and analysis of the test results:

(1) The walls were observed to share a common mode of

failure, that of head joints separation and splitting of the
face-shells in the tension zone. The complexity of
the crack pattern was found to be dependent on the spacing of
the joint reinforcement . Walls with joint reinforcement in
every course had a more developed crack pattern than walf
with joint reinforcement in just every other course.

(2) Joint reinforcement did not influence the cracking load

significantly but it did act to control and distribute the cracks
within the failure region. A minimum amount of joint
 662

reinforcement is required to maintain a safe ratio between the

cracking load and the ultimate load. Joint reinforcement in
every course adequately provides this ratio.

(3) Joint reinforcement increased the flexural strength of block

masonry walls as compared to unreinforced walls. Joint
reinforcement in every other course increased the flexural
strength by about 64 percent while joint reinforcement in every
course increased the flexural strength by 220 to 280 percent.
Therefore, the code minimum steel requirement in the
horizontal direction (0.07%) has the desirable effect of
increasing the wall flexural strength by over 64 percent as
compared to unreinforced walls.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The support of this research by the National Science Foundation

through grant No. ECE-8319178 to Drexel University is gratefully
acknowledged. Tests were conducted using an MTS loading system
funded partially by the National Science Foundation through grant
No. ECE-8412474. Mason's time was made available through the
Delaware Valley Masonry Institute and D.M. Sabia and Company and is
gratefully acknowledged.

REFERENCES

1. Bartlett, W.H., "Masonry Wall Reinforcement - When, Where, How

Much?," C/M Magazine, March 1965.

2. ----, "Ladur Type Masonry Wall Reinforcement, DUR-O-WAL,"

ICBO Evaluation Report No. 2292, International Conference of
Building Officials, Whittier, California, January 1982.

3. Bortz, S.A., "Investigation of Continuous Metal Ties as a

Replacement for Brick Ties in Masonry Walls," Technical
Bulletin No. 67-5, DUR-O-WAL, Inc., Northbrook, IlIinois, 1967 .

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 663

4. Randall, F.A. and Panarese, W.C., Concrete Masonry Handbook for

Architects. Engineers, Builders. Portland Cement Association,
Skokie, IlIinois, 1976.

5. Schneider, R.R. and Dickey, W.L., Reinforced Masonry Design,

Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N. J., 1980.

6. Cox , F.W. and Ennenga, J.L. , "Tranverse Strength of Concrete

Block Walls," Proceedings of American Concrete Institute, Vol.
54, 1958, pp. 951-960.

7. Hedstrom, R.O., "Load Tests of Patterned Concrete Masonry

Walls," Proceedings of American Concrete Institute, Vol. 57,
1961, pp. 1265-1286.

8. Mattison, E.N. and Churchward, G., "Some Tests on the Bending

Strength of Concrete Masonry in Running Bond," Division of
Building Research, Melbourne, Australia, 1969.

9. ----, "The Structural Role of Joint Reinforcement in Concrete

Masonry," Technical Bulletin No. 99, National Concrete Masonry
Association, Herndon, Virginia, 1978.

10. DeVekey, R.C and West, H.W., "The Flexural Strength of Concrete
Blockwork," Building Research Establishment, London, October
1979.

11. Anderson, D.L., Nathan, N.D., Cherry, S. and Gajer, R.B., "Seismic
Design of Reinforced Concrete Masonry Walls," Proceedings of
the Second Canadian Masonry Symposium, Ottawa, Canada, June
1980, pp. 181-196.

12. Cajdert, A., "Laterally Loaded Masonry Walls," Ph .D Thesis,

Chalmers University of Technology, Goteberg, Sweden, 1980.

13. Dickey, W.L., "Joint Reinforcement and Masonry," Proceedings of

the Second North American Masonry Conference, College Park,
Maryland, August1982, pp. 15-1 - 15-15.

14. Dickey, W.L. and Catani , M., "Joint Reinforcement is Also

Structural," Proceedings of Concrete International. ACI , Vol. 5,
 664

No. 6, June 1983, pp. 32-39.

15. American Society for Testing and Materiais 1984 Annual

Standards, Section 4, Vol. 04.05, 1984.

16. American Society for Testing and Materiais 1984 Annual

Standards, Section 1, Vol. 01.04, 1984.

17. International Conference of Building Officials, "Masonry Codes

and Specifications," Uniform Building Code, Chapter 24,
Whittier, California, 1985.

18. American Concrete Institute, "Building Code Requirements for

Concrete Masonry Structures," ACI Standard 531-79, Detroit,
Michigan, 1983.