A PREDICTION MODEL OF THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF THREE-LEAF WALLS BASED ON LIMIT ANALYSIS

Based on the method of limit analysis, the finite element method with the plastic limit upper bound is applied to predict the compressive strength of three-leaf masonry structures. Combined with the common failure modes of three-leaf walls under compression, the constitutive model parameters are obtained from the tests of material specimens and small masonry specimens. Based on the parameters, a prediction model for the compressive strength of three-leaf walls is proposed under the boundary condition of non-uniform compressive stress. According to the experimental data in literature, the compressive strengths of several three-leaf walls are predicted by this model. The predicted strengths are compared with the experimental results and the results of the compressive strength formulas to illustrate the accuracy of the model.