Mahmoud Elsayed, Rafael Gonzalez, Alan Alonso, Clayton Pettit, Douglas Tomlinson, and Carlos Cruz-Noguez
i PhD Candidate, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, mhelsaye@ualberta.ca
ii PhD Candidate, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, rgonzalez@ualberta.ca
iii Structural Engineer, RJC Engineers, Edmonton, Canada, aalonsorivers@rjc.ca
iv Assistant Professor, University of Alberta; Edmonton, Canada, cpettit@ualberta.ca
v Associate Professor, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, dtomlins@ualberta.ca
vi Professor, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, carlos.cruznoguez@ualberta.ca
ABSTRACT
Tall masonry walls are widely used in single-story structures such as warehouses, schools, and industrial facilities. However, their high slenderness ratios (height/thickness) make them susceptible to second-order moments, often necessitating thicker walls and limiting their viability. While post-tensioning (PT) techniques have proven effective in reducing tensile stresses and member thickness in high-span reinforced concrete structures, their application in tall masonry walls remains relatively unexplored. In this study, the use of partially unbonded guided PT techniques to enhance the performance of tall masonry walls is investigated. A full-scale concrete masonry wall with a height of 8.75 metres and a slenderness ratio of 46 was experimentally tested under realistic loading and different boundary conditions. The wall was subjected to eccentric vertical loads and uniform out-of-plane pressures using an airbag, simulating conditions typical of one-story structures. The test objective was to investigate the effect of the applied PT stress, the presence of eccentric vertical load, and the effect of the base condition on the out-of-plane response of the PT masonry wall. The results indicate that using a fixed base and/or increasing the applied PT stress improves the response of the wall up to the serviceability limits. Additionally, the findings reveal that even with low levels of applied PT force, PT masonry walls can outperform or exhibit behaviour comparable to walls reinforced with conventional mild steel.
KEYWORDS: Tall masonry walls, unbonded post-tensioning bars, Out-of-plane response, Full-scale experimental testing.
017-Elsayed.pdf
