Influence of blockaid chairs on compression and out-of-plane behaviour of reinforced masonry walls

ABSTRACT Changes in Australian Masonry Standards and National Code of Construction for reinforced masonry (RM) under compression impress the need of a grout annulus and vertical bar confinement using 6 mm tie bars. Maintaining the verticality and centricity of reinforcement and restraining them with the tie bars is challenging and time consuming. BlockAid have designed masonry bar chairs to align and restrain the reinforcing bars central in the block cores. This paper presents an investigation to ascertain the performance of BlockAid bar chairs in supporting the reinforcing bars in the RM walls subject to vertical compression and out-of-plane loads. The mean compressive strength in the fully grouted RM walls with BlockAid bar chairs was determined equivalent to the control specimen which sustained maximum load of 3100kN, compared to 3030kN for the BlockAid sample. Strain in the vertical steel bars, with BlockAid bar chairs, remained compressive throughout the loading with no evidence of buckling. The out-of-plane test results of BlockAid walls were similar in terms of failure modes, load-displacement behaviour and steel strain variations. These observations conclude that BlockAid bar chairs are effective in restraining the vertical bars against buckling and do not compromise the compression and bending capacity of RM walls.