MASONRY STRUCTURES

Buildings configuration and computation of masonry structures are made

according to Romanian standards CR 6-2013 and P100-1/2013.

Romania is a seismic area and buildings should have an adequate response

to seismic action. So, the conceptual design of the buildings must be done
consequently.

Main principles of conceptual design for masonry structures are:

1. The layout of structural walls must be symmetrical, compact or with limited
dissymmetry.
2. The slab aria should be constant for all levels or with small differences of
maximum 10-15%.
3. Masonry buildings shall be composed of floors and walls, which are
connected in two orthogonal horizontal directions and in the vertical
direction. Any type of floors may be used, provided that the general
requirements of continuity and effective diaphragm action are satisfied.

4. The spatial character of the building is obtained if:

- Walls are connected at corners and intersections by reinforced
concrete vertical elements named tie-columns
- Slabs are connected with the walls by tie-beams and by the anchorage
of the reinforcement of tie-columns into the tie-beams

The horizontal and vertical confining elements shall be bonded together and
anchored to the elements of the main structural system.

In order to obtain an effective bond between the confining elements and the
masonry, the concrete of the confining elements shall be cast after the masonry has
been built.

5. Stiffness of the structure should be approximately equal in the two main

directions (with differences smaller than 25%).
6. The strength and the stiffness of the structure should be constant at all
levels, with differences of maximum 20%.
Classification of masonry structures:

- Box (honeycomb) system – a structural system with distance

between walls <5.00m, level height< 3.20m
- Cellular system – a structural system with distance between walls
<9.00m and level height < 4.00m

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 - Hall system – a structural system with distance between walls >9.00m
and <18.00m and level height >4.00m and <9.00m
Types of construction:

- Unreinforced masonry construction

- Confined masonry construction
- Reinforced masonry construction

General rules and design criteria:

1. Stiffness of the structure approximately equal in the two orthogonal directions.

aria walls direction 1/ aria walls direction 2 = 0.75…1.25

The aria of the walls is computed in plan, without voids for windows and doors.
2. The density of the walls on each main direction should be larger than the values
from the table:

Density of the walls on each main direction is:

p1%= 100*Aria walls direction 1 (without voids) / Aria slab
p2%= 100*Aria walls direction 2 (without voids) / Aria slab

According to P100-1/2013 the map for the design ground acceleration is:

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3. The minimum length of the structural walls is:

- The length of edge piers:

Lmin=0.5hvoid > 1.00m
- The length of central piers:
Lmin=0.4hvoid > 0.80m

4. The ratio ρ between the aria in plan of the openings and aria in plan of the
masonry must be smaller than the values from the table:

The ratio r is computed for each line of walls (each axes) and it has different
maximum values function of wall position: exterior or interior.

5. The ratio between the height of the level and the thickness of the wall should be:

Hlevel / twall ≤ 15

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Position of the tie-columns:

a. At all interior or exterior corners

b. At the free edges of each structural wall element

c. At both sides of any wall opening with an area larger than >2.5m2 for seismic
area with ag≤0.20g and larger than >1.5m2 for seismic area with ag≥0.25g

d. Within the wall if necessary in order not to exceed a spacing between tie-
columns of:

- 5.00m for honeycomb (box) systems

- 4.00m for cellular systems

e. At every intersection of structural walls if the distance to the nearest tie-

column imposed by the above rules is larger than 3*t (t=thickness of the wall)

f. In all piers with the length smaller than the minimum one stipulated in rule no.
3 (table 8.11 from P100-1/2013).

Minimum conditions for the reinforced concrete tie-columns:

1. Cross section should have aria ≥ 625 cm2 and one side ≥ 25 cm

2. Minimum longitudinal reinforcement should be ≥1% for ag≥0.25g, ≥0.8% for

ag=0.15g and ag=0.20g, ≥0.6% for ag=0.10g

3. Minimum longitudinal bars Φ=12mm

4. Minimum stirrups Φ=6mm.

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5. Tie-columns should be continuous over the height of the building.

Minimum conditions for the tie-beams:

1. Cross section should have aria ≥ 500 cm2, the width ≥ 25 cm, the height larger
than the height of the slab and twice larger for the exterior walls and for the
stairs area.

2. Minimum longitudinal reinforcement should be ≥1% for ag≥0.25g, ≥0.8% for

ag=0.15g and ag=0.20g, ≥0.6% for ag=0.10g

3. Minimum longitudinal bars Φ=12mm

4. Minimum stirrups Φ=6mm.

Minimum conditions for the lintels:

1. The length of the supports should be ≥40cm

2. The width of the lintel should be equal to the thickness of the wall, or smaller
with 5 cm for the exterior walls.