EXPERIMENTAL TILTING PLANE TESTS FOR THE ULTIMATE SHEAR ESTIMATION OF PERFORATED DRY JOINT MASONRY PANELS

In the paper simple experimental tests by tilting table for the estimation of the ultimate shear capacity of seven in-scale models of perforated in-plane loaded dry joint masonry panels are presented. The testing table is progressively tilted in quasi-static conditions up to achieve the limit tilting angle, representing the ultimate destabilizing horizontal action, which gives rises to collapse. The experimental program involved seven masonry panels designed by different University teams within a student competition proposed in the 10th international Masonry Conference (10th IMC), held at the Technical University of Milan in 2018. The aim was to design a running bond shear panel with established height over length ratio, a minimum perforation ratio equal to 30% of the area and clay bricks with given dimensions disposed in either stack or running bond. The winning team was that obtaining the largest inclination angle of the tilting plane activating the collapse of the structure.