Evaluation of concrete masonry unit walls for lateral natural phenomena hazards loads

摘要

Older single-story facilities (Pre-1985 vintage) are commonly constructed of structural steel framing with concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls connected to columns and roof girders of the steel framing system. The CMU walls are designed for lateral wind and seismic loads (perpendicular to the wall) and transmit shear loads from the roof diaphragm to the foundation footings. The lateral loads normally govern their design. The structural framing system and the roof diaphragm system are straight forward when analyzing or upgrading the structure for NPH loads. This paper discusses three analytical approaches and/or techniques (empirical, working stress, and yield line) to determine the collapse capacity of a laterally loaded CMU wall, and compares their results