Axially Loaded Walls 69

2.4 Example 2.3 Single-Leaf Masonry Wall 3

An internal brick wall supports a two-span reinforced concrete floor slab as shown in
Figure 2.36. Using the design data given, determine a suitable brick/mortar combination.

Design data:
Self-weight of 102.5 mm thick standard format brickwork 1.8 kN/m2
Self-weight of plaster 12 mm thick 0.3 kN/m2
Characteristic dead load on floor slab 5.0 kN/m2
Characteristic imposed load on floor slab 1.5 kN/m2
Characteristic dead load from wall above 120.0 kN/metre length
Characteristic imposed load from wall above 20.0 kN/metre length
Category of manufacturing control normal
Category of construction control normal
Load from
wall above

wall A
Floor slab
slab 1 slab 2
102.5 mm thick
2750 mm

span span wall with 12 mm

A A plaster both sides

3.0 m 4.6 m
Plan Cross-section A-A
Figure 2.36

Solution: Consider a 1.0 metre length of wall

wall A

1. 0 m width
1.5 m 2.3 m
span 1 span 2

3.0 m 4.6 m

The wall supports an area equal to (1.5 × 1.0) from span 1 and an area equal to (2.3 × 1.0)
from span 2.
70 Design of Structural Masonry

The loads due to the self-weight of the wall and from the wall above are considered to be
concentric whilst those from the floor slab are considered to be eccentric as indicated in
Clause 31 of the code, i.e.
ex ex

Eccentricity = ex = t/3

t/6 t/6
t

Each side of the floor may be taken as being supported individually on half the total
bearing area.

Concentric Loads:
Characteristic dead load due to the self-weight of the wall = (2.75 × 1.8)
= 4.95 kN/m length
Characteristic dead load due to the self-weight of 12 mm plaster = (2 × 2.75 × 0.3)
= 1.65 kN/m length
Clause 22 Load Factor γf dead load = 1.4
Design load due to self-weight of wall and plaster both sides = 1.4 × (4.95 + 1.65)
= 9.24 kN/m length

Characteristic dead load from wall above = 120 kN/m length

Characteristic imposed load from wall above
Clause 22 Load Factors γf dead load = 0.9 or 1.4;
Minimum design dead load from wall above
Maximum design dead load from wall above
Design imposed load from wall above
Maximum total design load from wall above
= 20 kN/m length
γf imposed load = 1.6
= (0.9 × 120) = 108 kN/m length
= (1.4 × 120) = 168 kN/m length
= (1.6 × 20) = 32 kN/m length
= (168 + 32) = 200 kN/m length

Eccentric Loads:
Characteristic dead load due to floor slab1 = (1.5 × 5.0) = 7.5 kN/m length
Characteristic imposed load due to floor slab1 = (1.5 × 1.5) = 2.25 kN/m length

Clause 22 Load Factors γf dead load = 0.9 or 1.4; γf imposed load = 1.6
Minimum design dead load from slab 1 = (0.9 × 7.5) = 6.75 kN/m length
Maximum design dead load from slab1 = (1.4 × 7.5) = 10.5 kN/m length
Design imposed load from slab 1 = (1.6 × 2.25) = 3.6 kN/m length
Maximum total design load from slab 1 = (10.5 + 3.6) = 14.1 kN/m length

Characteristic dead load due to floor slab2 = (2.3 × 5.0) = 11.5 kN/m length
Characteristic imposed load due to floor slab2 = (2.3 × 1.5) = 3.45 kN/m length
 Axially Loaded Walls 71

Clause 22 Load Factors γf dead load = 1.4; γf imposed load = 1.6

Maximum total design load from slab 2 = [(1.4× 11.5) + (1.6 × 3.45)]
= 21.62 kN/m length
There are three load combinations which should be considered:

Case 1: Maximum vertical loads

W2
W1 = 9.24 kN/m length ex1 ex2
W2 = 200 kN/m length
W3 = 14.1 kN/m length
W4 = 21.62 kN/m length
Total = 244.96 kN/m length W3 W4

W1
Case 2: Maximum moment loads

W1 = 9.24 kN/m length W2

W2 = 200 kN/m length
ex1 ex2
W3 = 6.75 kN/m length
W4 = 21.62 kN/m length
Total = 237.61 kN/m length
W3 W4

W1

Case 3: Maximum eccentricity loads

W2
W1 = 9.24 kN/m length ex1 ex2
W2 = 108 kN/m length
W3 = 6.75 kN/m length
W4 = 21.62 kN/m length
Total = 145.61 kN/m length W3 W4

W1

Clause 32.2.1 Design Vertical Load Resistance of Walls

β t fk
Design vertical load resistance/unit length =
γm

Clause 27.3 Partial Safety Factor for Material Strength (γm)

Category for manufacturing control is normal
Category for construction control is normal
72 Design of Structural Masonry

Table 4
Table 4. Partial safety factors for material
strength, γm
Category of
construction control
Special Normal
Category of Special 2.5 3.1
manufacturing
control of structural Normal 2.8 3.5
units
γm = 3.5

Clause 28 Consideration of Slenderness of Walls and Columns

slenderness ratio SR = hef /tef ≤ 27

Clause 28.3.1 Effective Height

hef = (0.75 × 2750) = 2062.5 mm

Clause 28.4.1 Effective Thickness

For single-leaf walls the effective thickness is equal to the actual thickness as indicated in
Figure 3 of the code.
tef = 102.5 mm
2062.5
SR = = 18.78 < 27
102.5
CASE 1:
Clause 31 Eccentricity Perpendicular to the Wall
The design loading on the wall comprises a concentric element from above and two
eccentric elements from the slab reactions.

200 kN
t /3 t /3 ex
W kN

14.1 kN 21.62 kN

actual load system 9.24 kN equivalent load system

The equivalent load system must have the same vertical load and the same bending
moment about the centre-line as the actual system.
Equating vertical forces W = (200 + 14.1 + 21.62) = 235.7 kN
Equating moments (235.7 × ex) = [(21.62 × t /3) – (14.1 × t /3)] = 2.51t kNmm
 Axially Loaded Walls 73

∴ ex = (2.51t /235.7) = 0.01t mm

< 0.05t
Maximum vertical load = 244.96 kN

Note: The self-weight of the wall and plaster has not been included in the calculation for
the eccentricity.

Table 7 Capacity Reduction Factor

Linear interpolation between slenderness and eccentricity values is permitted when using
Table 7.

Table 7. Capacity reduction factor, β

Slender- Eccentricity at top of wall, ex
ness ratio Up to
hef /tef 0.05t 0.1t 0.2t 0.3t
(see note 1)
0 1.00 0.88 0.66 0.44

18 0.77 0.70 0.57 0.44

20 0.70 0.64 0.51 0.37
22 0.62 0.56 0.43 0.30

SR = 20.12 β ex = 0.01 = [0.70 – (0.08 × 0.12/2.0)] = 0.7

β t fk
Clause 32.2.1 Design Vertical Load Resistance = ≥ 244.96 kN
γm
244.96 × Ȗ m 244.96 × 3.5
fk ≥ = = 11.9 N/mm2
ȕt 0.7 × 102.5
CASE 2:
Clause 31 Eccentricity Perpendicular to the wall

200 kN

t /3 t /3 ex
W kN

6.75 kN 21.62 kN

actual load system 9.24 kN equivalent load system

74 Design of Structural Masonry

Equating vertical forces W = (200 + 6.75 + 21.62) = 228.37 kN

Equating moments (228.37 × ex) = [(21.62 × t /3) – (6.75 × t /3)] = 4.96t kNmm
∴ ex = (4.96t /228.37) = 0.02t mm
< 0.05t
Maximum vertical load = 237.61 kN
Since ex is also < 0.05t Case (1) is more severe.

CASE 3:
Clause 31 Eccentricity Perpendicular to the wall

108 kN
t /3 t /3 ex
W kN

6.75 kN 21.62 kN

actual load system 9.24 kN equivalent load system

Equating vertical forces W = (108 + 6.75 + 21.62) = 136.37 kN

Equating moments (136.37 × ex) = [(21.62 × t /3) – (6.75 × t /3)] = 4.96t kNmm
∴ ex = (4.96t /136.37) = 0.04t mm
< 0.05t
Maximum vertical load = 145.61 kN
Since ex is also < 0.05t Case (1) is more severe.
Minimum value of fk ≥ 11.9 N/mm2

Note: In most situations Case (1) will be the critical case, however, it is important for
designers to be aware of the other possibilities.

Clause 23.1.2 Narrow Brick Walls

The narrow brick wall factor applies in this case.
11.9
Required value of fk ≥ = 10.35 N/mm2
1.15

Clause 23.1 Normal Masonry

Table 2(a) Unit strength of 35 N/mm2 and mortar designation (i) or
Unit strength = 50 N/mm2 and mortar strength (i), (ii) or (iii) are suitable.

As an alternative to these options Figure 1(a) can be used to specify a

Class of brick. Linear interpolation for classes of loadbearing bricks not
shown on the graph may be used for average crushing strengths
intermediate between those given on the graph.