In Appreciation of Our Reviewers – Journal of Building Material Science (2025)
2026-02-06
Evaluation of CMU Shear Walls Using Digital Image Correlation
Authors
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Brittany Bullard
Facilities and Infrastructure Group, RE/SPEC, Anchorage, AK 99504, USA
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Michael Gangone
Department of Civil Engineering, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 05663, USA
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Michael McGinnis
School of Engineering & Engineering Technology, LeTourneau University, Longview, TX 75602, USA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/jbms.v8i3.13405Abstract
Throughout recorded history, masonry has played a significant role in the construction of structures across diverse cultures and geographic regions. In the last century, concrete masonry units (CMU) have effectively replaced traditional red brick in masonry in the US with the exception of some veneer purposes. CMU structures are significantly stronger than traditional masonry and have a wide variety of uses, with walls being the most common application. The research presented here investigates the differences in failure behavior of CMU shear walls with varying horizontal joint reinforcement configurations. Existing literature acknowledges that horizontal joint reinforcement is key to shear strength in masonry walls, but no research was identified that experimentally tests shear walls with spliced joint reinforcement. Two CMU walls were tested in quasi-static unidirectional lateral pushover, one with continuous joint reinforcement and one with spliced joint reinforcement. To evaluate specimen behavior, digital image correlation (DIC) was utilized as the primary measurement tool, revealing previously unobserved aspects of cracking patterns and their relationship to reinforcement splice regions. Analysis of the test results showed that walls containing uninterrupted joint reinforcement were capable of sustaining larger maximum loads and maintained a more ductile response after reaching peak capacity. Additionally, the presence of reinforcement splices was associated with elevated strain measurements occurring at numerous locations within the wall system.
Keywords:
Masonry; CMU; Shear; Wall; Reinforcement; Digital Image Correlation; DICReferences
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Bullard, B., Gangone, M., & McGinnis, M. (2026). Evaluation of CMU Shear Walls Using Digital Image Correlation. Journal of Building Material Science, 8(3), 64–83. https://doi.org/10.30564/jbms.v8i3.13405
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Copyright © 2026 Brittany Bullard, Michael Gangone, Michael McGinnis
This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.
