| The increasing attention given to energy efficiency in buildings has led to the construction of masonry cavity walks with larger cavity widths in order to accommodate thicker insulating materials. The concern is that the performance of the previously available wall ties deteriorates with increasing cavity width.;The problem with shear-connected cavity walls is that they are analyzed using techniques that are very time-consuming and involved. This study presents the development of a simple method of structural analysis that is intended to reduce the time required for analysis. This method was developed with the objective of estimating the maximum allowable wind load, based on principles of plastic behaviour, that a shear-connected cavity wall can sustain prior to exceeding the allowable extreme fibre stresses in either wythe.;Although the simplified method compares favourably with a linear elastic analysis, more refinement is required before implementation into the design field.;This concern led to the development of a shear-connector tie which allows any applied loads to be shared between the two wythes of a hollow concrete block/brick veneer cavity wall. The design of cavity walls constructed with this type of connector is not covered in any code, and a structural analysis must therefore be carried out to evaluate the structural behaviour of this type of wall. |
