Shear modulus and stiffness of brickwork masonry: An experimental perspective
Masonry is a composite non-homogeneous structural material, whose mechanical properties depend on the properties of and the interaction between the composite components - brick and mortar, their volume ratio, the properties of their bond, and any cracking in the masonry. The mechanical properties of masonry depend on the orientation of the bed joints and the stress state of the joints, and so the values of the shear modulus, as well as the stiffness of masonry structural elements can depend on various factors. An extensive testing programme in several countries addresses the problem of measurement of the stiffness properties of masonry. These testing programs have provided sufficient data to permit a review of the influence of different testing techniques (mono and bi-axial tests), the variations caused by distinct loading conditions (monotonic and cyclic), the impact of the mortar type, as well as influence of the reinforcement. This review considers the impact of the measurement devices used for determining the shear modulus and stiffness of walls on the results. The results clearly indicate a need to re-assess the values stated in almost all national codes for the shear modulus of the masonry, especially for masonry made with lime mortar, where strong anisotropic behaviour is in the stiffness properties.
Analytical model for the out‐of‐plane response of vertically spanning unreinforced masonry walls
An analytical model describing the flexural response of vertically spanning out‐of‐plane loaded unreinforced masonry walls is presented in this paper. The model is based on the second‐order Euler‐Bernoulli beam theory and captures important characteristics of the out‐of‐plane response of masonry walls that have been observed in experimental tests and from numerical studies but for which an analytical solution was still lacking: the onset and the evolution of cracking, the peak strength of the out‐of‐plane loaded walls, and the softening of the response due to P−Δ effects. The model is validated against experimental results, and the comparison shows that the model captures both the prepeak and postpeak response of the walls. From the analytical model of the force‐displacement curve, a formula for the maximum out‐of‐plane strength of the walls is derived, which can be directly applied in engineering practice.
Impact of Nuclear Data Uncertainties on Transmutation of Actinides in Accelerator-Driven Assemblies
Abstract The potential impact of nuclear data uncertainties on a large number of performance parameters of reactor cores dedicated to the transmutation of radioactive wastes is discussed. An uncertainty analysis has been performed based on sensitivity theory, which underlines the cross sections, the energy range, and the isotopes that are responsible for the most significant uncertainties. To provide guidelines on priorities for new evaluations or validation experiments, required accuracies on specific nuclear data have been derived, accounting for target accuracies on major design parameters. The required accuracies (mostly in the energy region below 20 MeV), in particular for minor actinide data, are of the same order of magnitude of the achieved accuracies on major actinides. Specific requirements also concern the improvement of minor actinide data related to decay heat and effective delayed-neutron fraction assessment.