PERFORMANCE OF A MULTIPLE-LEAF MASONRY WALL UNDER ECCENTRICAL LOADS

The paper reports the results obtained by a experimental campaign on three leaves scaled 1.2 under vertical eccentric loads, carried out on a multiple leaf masonry characterized by very poor inner core leaf in mortar and stone aggregate. The experimental test was carried out on the original non-reinforced masonry in presence of eccentric loads. This scheme of load is very common in practice due to eccentricity of the self weight resultant of the top storey when the thickness is reduced in respect to the ground floor. The test results provide very important information about the failure mechanism of these kindS of walls, but they also permit us to validate the numerical approach adopted and developed by Sahlin’s theory capable of taking into account for the bending effects produced by the material of the inner leaf (soil or masonry with stone) on the outer elements