Orientador : Jefferson Sidney Camacho / Banca: Luiz Roberto Prudêncio Júnior / Banca: José Antônio Matthiesen / Resumo: Com a finalidade de contribuir para um melhor entendimento sobre a distribuição das ações verticais entre paredes de edifícios de alvenaria estrutural de blocos cerâmicos, foi desenvolvido no presente trabalho uma série de ensaios que visam a análise da eficiência de dois tipos de ligações usuais entre paredes: as ligações de amarração direta (contrafiada) e as ligações com amarração indireta, através de grampos metálicos e graute. Para a consecução desses objetivos foram desenvolvidos diferentes programas experimentais, que contemplaram desde a caracterização das propriedades mecânicas dos componentes da alvenaria (blocos, argamassa, graute e aço) até a ensaios em corpos-de-prova (paredes "H") representativos das formas de ligações em estudo. Com o objetivo de se encontrar correlações com estes tipos de ligações, foram desenvolvidos, em paralelo, ensaios de cisalhamento em unidades (blocos) e ensaios em prismas especiais, aqui chamados prismas cavaletes. Por fim, os resultados experimentais obtidos no presente trabalho foram comparados com os resultados encontrados em modelos reduzidos, nas escalas 1:3 e 1:5, obtidos da revisão bibliográfica. / Abstract: With the intend to contribute for a better understanding about the vertical loads spreading between the ceramic blocks walls of a structural masonry building, it was developed within the present work a series of tests aiming the analysis of the efficiency of two usual walls connections, one directly connected (stretcher, bond) and the other indirectly connected throughout steel staples and grout. For the attainment of these objectives it was developed different experimental programs, which contemplated since the mechanical properties characterization of the masonry componentes (blocks, mortar, grout and steel) until the tests on the studying connections representative specimen ("H" walls). Aiming to find the correlations for these types of connections, it was also developed, in parallel, shearing tests on the units (blocks) and tests on special prisms, called here by "rack prisms". At the end, the experimental results obtained upon the present work were matched with the found small-scale results, on the (1:3) and (1:5) scales, obtained from the bibliographic revision. / Mestre

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo principal a análise experimental da distribuição das ações verticais entre paredes de alvenaria estrutural com a utilização de modelo físico reduzido na escala 1:5. Precedendo a construção do modelo físico reduzido foram realizados ensaios de caracterização dos componentes e da alvenaria na escala reduzida 1:5. Os ensaios no modelo físico reduzido consistiram na inserção de carregamentos uniformemente distribuídos e aplicados em diferentes ambientes e níveis. A análise da distribuição das ações verticais foi possível devido à instrumentação realizada na base do modelo físico reduzido através de células de carga. Os resultados foram analisados comparando-se os resultados experimentais com os usuais procedimentos teóricos de distribuição das ações verticais e também com a modelagem por elementos finitos; visando, desta forma, identificar qual o procedimento que mais se aproxima dos resultados experimentais. Foi possível concluir que a modelagem por elementos finitos e o procedimento de Grupos de Paredes apresentaram resultados mais próximos dos experimentais na análise da distribuição das ações verticais. / This study had as a main aim the experimental analysis of vertical loads distribution between structural masonry walls using a reduced physical model in a 1:5 scale. Preceding the building of the physical model were performed tests in order to obtain characterization of the components and of the masonry in a 1:5 reduced scale. The tests in the reduced physical model consisted in the insertion of loads uniformly distributed and applied in different environments and levels. The analysis of the vertical loads distribution was possible due to instrumentation performed on the basis of the physical model by load cells. The results were analyzed by comparing the experimental results with the usual theoretical procedures of vertical loads distribution and also with the modeling by finite elements; aiming, this way, to identify which procedure is closer to the experimental results. It was concluded that modeling by finite elements and Walls Groups procedure showed results closer to the experimental analysis of vertical loads distribution.

The need to satisfy aerospace industry's demand not met by traditional materials motivated researchers and scientists to look for new solutions. The answer was found in developing new material systems by combining together two or more constituents. Composites, also known as fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) consisting of a reinforcing phase (fibers) embedded into a matrix (polymer), offered several advantages with respect to conventional materials. High specific modulus and strength together with other beneficial properties, corrosion resistance and transparency to electrical and magnetic fields above all, made FRP also suitable for use as construction materials in structural engineering. In the early years of the twenty-first century, the publication by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) of design guidelines for the use of FRP as internal reinforcement and for external strengthening of concrete members accelerated their implementation for structural engineering applications. To date, FRP have gained full acceptance as advanced materials for construction and their use is poised to become as routine as the use of conventional structural materials such as masonry, wood, steel, and concrete. However, new concrete columns internally reinforced with FRP bars and FRP confinement for existing prismatic reinforced concrete (RC) columns have currently important unsolved issues, some of which are addressed in this dissertation defense. The dissertation is articulated on three studies. The first study (Study 1) focuses on RC columns internally reinforced with glass FRP (GFRP) bars; the second (Study 2) on RC prismatic columns externally confined by means of FRP laminates using glass and glass/basalt fibers; and the third (Study 3) is a theoretical attempt to interpret and capture the mechanics of the external FRP confinement of square RC columns. Study 1 describes an experimental campaign on full-scale GFRP RC columns under pure axial load undertaken using specimens with a 24 by 24 in. (0.61 by 0.61 m) square cross section. The study was conducted to investigate whether the compressive behavior of longitudinal GFRP bars impacts the column performance, and to understand the contribution of GFRP ties to the confinement of the concrete core, and to prevent instability of the longitudinal reinforcement. The results showed that the GFRP RC specimens behaved similarly to the steel RC counterpart, while the spacing of the ties strongly influenced the failure mode. Study 2 presents a pilot research that includes laboratory testing of full-scale square and rectangular RC columns externally confined with glass and basalt-glass FRP laminates and subjected to pure axial load. Specimens that are representative of full-scale building columns were designed according to a dated ACI 318 code (i.e., prior to 1970) for gravity loads only. The study was conducted to investigate how the external confinement affects ultimate axial strength and deformation of a prismatic RC column. The results showed that the FRP confinement increases concrete axial strength, but it is more effective in enhancing concrete strain capacity. The discussion of the results includes a comparison with the values obtained using existing constitutive models. Study 3 proposes a new theoretical framework to interpret and capture the physics of the FRP confinement of square RC columns subjected to pure compressive loads. The geometrical, physical and mechanical parameters governing the problem are analyzed and discussed. A single-parameter methodology for predicting the axial stress - axial strain curve for FRP-confined square RC columns is described. Fundamentals, basic assumptions and limitations are discussed. A simple design example is also presented.

Orientador: Jefferson Sidney Camacho / Banca: Rogério de Oliveira Rodrigues / Banca: Marcio Roberto Silva Correa / Resumo: Esta pesquisa foi realizada com o intuito de se conhecer, através de análise teórico- experimental, a distribuição das ações verticais ao longo da altura das paredes de um edifício em alvenaria estrutural cerâmica não armada em escala reduzida. O edifício em questão é formado por quatro pavimentos, blocos cerâmicos e lajes maciças estando apoiado sobre sistema de vigas baldrames e estacas, sendo que as estacas estão sobre um pequeno radier. Após obtenção dos resultados experimentais necessários, foram feitas análises teóricas da distribuição das ações verticais, utilizando-se dos modelos de cálculos atualmente conhecidos e também através de um software comercial baseado no Método dos Elementos Finitos. Fez- se comparações com os resultados obtidos através dos ensaios experimentais com o intuito de verificar qual modelo de cálculo melhor representou o comportamento da alvenaria. A fim de avaliar a distribuição das ações verticais, o edifício foi ensaiado através de carregamentos uniformemente distribuídos - bandejas com água - sobre as lajes dos diferentes pavimentos, medindo assim, os valores de reações de apoio nos pontos instrumentados. Como principal conclusão, verificou-se que para cálculos manuais de distribuição de ações verticais as paredes não devem ser tratadas como isoladas, mesmo para edifícios de pequena altura, com poucos pavimentos, mas como pertencentes a determinado grupo, por causa da existência de interação entre elas. / Abstract: This research was carried out in order to know, through theoretical and experimental analysis, the distribution of vertical loads along the height of the walls of a building in unreinforced structural masonry with ceramic blocks in small scale. The building in question consists of four floors, ceramic blocks and slabs being supported on system foundation beams and piles, the piles are upon a small raft. After obtaining the necessary experimental results were made theoretical analysis of the vertical loads distribution, using the currently model calculations and also with a commercial software based on finite element method. Comparisons were made with the results obtained from experimental tests with in order to determine which calculation model best represented the behavior of masonry. In order to evaluate the distribution of vertical loads, the building was tested by imposing uniformly distributed loads - trays with water - upon the slabs of different floors, thus measuring the values of support reactions at points instrumented. The main conclusion, it was found that for manual calculations of the distribution of vertical loads the walls should not be treated as isolated, even for buildings of small height, with few floors, but as belonging to a particular group, because of interaction between them. / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:25:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-04-18Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:11:59Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_rf_me_ilha.pdf: 12888176 bytes, checksum: cb0c98afb8cb40cdef1d732546c09448 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Esta pesquisa foi realizada com o intuito de se conhecer, através de análise teórico- experimental, a distribuição das ações verticais ao longo da altura das paredes de um edifício em alvenaria estrutural cerâmica não armada em escala reduzida. O edifício em questão é formado por quatro pavimentos, blocos cerâmicos e lajes maciças estando apoiado sobre sistema de vigas baldrames e estacas, sendo que as estacas estão sobre um pequeno radier. Após obtenção dos resultados experimentais necessários, foram feitas análises teóricas da distribuição das ações verticais, utilizando-se dos modelos de cálculos atualmente conhecidos e também através de um software comercial baseado no Método dos Elementos Finitos. Fez- se comparações com os resultados obtidos através dos ensaios experimentais com o intuito de verificar qual modelo de cálculo melhor representou o comportamento da alvenaria. A fim de avaliar a distribuição das ações verticais, o edifício foi ensaiado através de carregamentos uniformemente distribuídos - bandejas com água - sobre as lajes dos diferentes pavimentos, medindo assim, os valores de reações de apoio nos pontos instrumentados. Como principal conclusão, verificou-se que para cálculos manuais de distribuição de ações verticais as paredes não devem ser tratadas como isoladas, mesmo para edifícios de pequena altura, com poucos pavimentos, mas como pertencentes a determinado grupo, por causa da existência de interação entre elas. / This research was carried out in order to know, through theoretical and experimental analysis, the distribution of vertical loads along the height of the walls of a building in unreinforced structural masonry with ceramic blocks in small scale. The building in question consists of four floors, ceramic blocks and slabs being supported on system foundation beams and piles, the piles are upon a small raft. After obtaining the necessary experimental results were made theoretical analysis of the vertical loads distribution, using the currently model calculations and also with a commercial software based on finite element method. Comparisons were made with the results obtained from experimental tests with in order to determine which calculation model best represented the behavior of masonry. In order to evaluate the distribution of vertical loads, the building was tested by imposing uniformly distributed loads - trays with water - upon the slabs of different floors, thus measuring the values of support reactions at points instrumented. The main conclusion, it was found that for manual calculations of the distribution of vertical loads the walls should not be treated as isolated, even for buildings of small height, with few floors, but as belonging to a particular group, because of interaction between them.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo principal a análise experimental da distribuição das ações verticais entre paredes de alvenaria estrutural com a utilização de modelo físico reduzido na escala 1:5. Precedendo a construção do modelo físico reduzido foram realizados ensaios de caracterização dos componentes e da alvenaria na escala reduzida 1:5. Os ensaios no modelo físico reduzido consistiram na inserção de carregamentos uniformemente distribuídos e aplicados em diferentes ambientes e níveis. A análise da distribuição das ações verticais foi possível devido à instrumentação realizada na base do modelo físico reduzido através de células de carga. Os resultados foram analisados comparando-se os resultados experimentais com os usuais procedimentos teóricos de distribuição das ações verticais e também com a modelagem por elementos finitos; visando, desta forma, identificar qual o procedimento que mais se aproxima dos resultados experimentais. Foi possível concluir que a modelagem por elementos finitos e o procedimento de Grupos de Paredes apresentaram resultados mais próximos dos experimentais na análise da distribuição das ações verticais. / This study had as a main aim the experimental analysis of vertical loads distribution between structural masonry walls using a reduced physical model in a 1:5 scale. Preceding the building of the physical model were performed tests in order to obtain characterization of the components and of the masonry in a 1:5 reduced scale. The tests in the reduced physical model consisted in the insertion of loads uniformly distributed and applied in different environments and levels. The analysis of the vertical loads distribution was possible due to instrumentation performed on the basis of the physical model by load cells. The results were analyzed by comparing the experimental results with the usual theoretical procedures of vertical loads distribution and also with the modeling by finite elements; aiming, this way, to identify which procedure is closer to the experimental results. It was concluded that modeling by finite elements and Walls Groups procedure showed results closer to the experimental analysis of vertical loads distribution.

Résumé : Afin de contribuer dans la réponse latérale des pieux sous sollicitations latérales et notamment prendre en compte des plusieurs paramètres en relation avec les pieux (matériau, diamètre, rigidité, inclinaison) et le sol (nature, rigidité), des analyses numériques en différences finies 2D et 3D ont été réalisées en considérant des pieux chargés latéralement et ancrés dans des sols sableux, argileux et même sableux-argileux. Des modèles numériques simulés avec les codes en différences finies FLAC pour l’analyse 2D et FLAC[indice supérieur 3D] pour l’analyse 3D ont été inspirés des modèles de pieux réduits et en vraie grandeur, faisant l’objet de publications. Des enregistrements du déplacement latéral ou/et de la capacité latérale ou/et du moment fléchissant des pieux considérés ont été pris lors de ces essais. Ces modèles numériques ont été validés à travers diverses comparaisons entre les mesures, les calculs de FLAC et/ou FLAC3D et dans des cas les calculs d’autres méthodes utilisées dans la pratique. Une comparaison entre l’analyse 2D et l’analyse 3D de la réponse latérale d’un pieu rigide chargé latéralement dans un sol cohérent, a été réalisée dans le but de connaître les limites de l’analyse 2D et la possibilité de corréler ses résultats à ceux de l’analyse 3D. L’influence de la charge verticale sur la réponse latérale (capacité latérale et moment fléchissant maximal) d’un pieu en béton, chargé latéralement dans des sols sableux et argileux, a été étudiée avec une analyse numérique 3D. Il a été démontré que pour le cas des sols sableux, la charge verticale n’a pas un effet considérable sur la réponse latérale des pieux soumis à des charges latérales. Par contre, la charge verticale conduit à une diminution significative de la capacité latérale des pieux dans des sols argileux. Il est également constaté que l'influence des charges verticales sur la réponse latérale du pieu installé dans une argile surconsolidée avec une résistance au cisaillement non drainée proportionnelle à la profondeur et un OCR variant de 1,5 à 4,0 est très différent de celle correspondante à une résistance au cisaillement non drainée constante quelle que soit la valeur d’OCR. Des analyses 3D ont été, également, effectuées pour étudier la réponse latérale de pieux inclinés et chargés latéralement. La capacité latérale des pieux inclinés dans les sols sableux est considérablement augmentée avec l’augmentation de la valeur de l’inclinaison du pieu correspondante à la direction opposée à la direction de la charge latérale, et la densité du sable. Mais lorsque la direction de l’inclinaison du pieu et la même que celle correspondante à la charge latérale, cette capacité latérale est légèrement à modérément augmentée tout dépendamment de la valeur et le signe de l'angle ainsi que de la densité du sable. L’influence de l’angle d’inclinaison associé avec la charge verticale sur la capacité latérale de pieux inclinés est aussi très importante pour les sols sableux. Pour les sols argileux, l'influence de l'angle d’inclinaison sur la capacité latérale dépend seulement de l'angle d’inclinaison. En effet, la capacité latérale est modérément augmentée. Par contre, L'effet combiné de l’angle et la charge verticale est assez important. // Abstract : This thesis pertains to numerical analyses conducted primarily to evaluate the lateral response of piles and the contribution of several parameters related to piles (e.g., material, diameter, stiffness, inclination) and the soil (e.g., type, rigidity). Numerical finite differences analysis in 2D and 3D have been performed modelizing laterally loaded piles in sandy, clayey, and even sandy-clayey soils. Numerical models, simulated with finite difference codes FLAC for analysis in 2D and FLAC[superscript 3D] for 3D analysis, were inspired from experimental laboratory and full scale models available in literature. Measurements of lateral deflection and/or lateral capacity and/or bending moment of tested piles were recorded during these tests. These numerical models have been validated through comparison between the various measurements, predictions with FLAC and/or FLAC3D and for some cases the calculations with other methods used in practice. Comparison between 2D and 3D analyses of the response of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soils, was performed in order to investigate the 2D analysis limitations and the possibility of correlating the 2D results with those of 3D analysis. A series of 3D finite differences analyses is also conducted to evaluate the influence of vertical loads on the lateral response of pile foundations. Numerical results have shown that the lateral resistance of the piles does not appear to vary considerably with the vertical load in sandy soil especially at loosest stat. However, vertical load leads to a significant decrease in lateral capacity of piles in homogeneous and inhomogeneous clay layers. It is also found that the influence of vertical loads on the lateral response of pile installed in over-consolidated clay with undrained strength proportional to depth and different OCR in the range of 1.5 to 4.0 is quite different from that with constant undrained strength regardless the adopted OCR value. The 3D finite difference analyses have been, also, carried out to investigate the lateral response of battered piles. The lateral capacity of the battered piles in sandy soils is considerably increased when the value of pile inclination corresponding to the opposite direction of the lateral load increases and when the sand density increases. But in the case of pile inclination corresponding to the same direction of the lateral load, the lateral capacity is slightly increased regardless to the adopted value of batter angle and the sand density. In clayey soil, it was found that the influence of the batter angle on the lateral capacity of piles depends only on the batter angle and not on the clay rigidity. For the case of pile inclination corresponding to the opposite direction of the lateral load, the lateral capacity is moderately increased and for the other case of inclination, the effects are not significant. The influence of both batter angle and vertical load on lateral capacity of battered pile in clayey soils is moderately pronounced.

A presente tese versa sobre ampla investigação em torno da distribuição das ações verticais entre paredes de alvenaria estrutural dentro de um edifício. O edifício foi caracterizado como pertencente ao sistema complexo de paredes, o qual é de uso mais comum no Brasil. Desenvolveu-se análise numérica no edifício, com objetivo de predizer o comportamento na análise experimental, assim como na comparação entre os próprios modelos numéricos. Serviu de modelo experimental um edifício em escala real, o qual foi monitorado, durante sua execução e depois dela, com ensaio de prova de carga. Realizou-se monitoramento mediante uso de unidades especiais de alvenaria instrumentadas para se converterem em células de carga, nas quais as tensões em cada ponto de análise puderam ser determinadas. Tabelas e gráficos foram montados para tornarem possível a verificação das diferenças entre todos os modelos analisados. Como principais conclusões uma se mostrou de grande importância e foi esta: as paredes sofrem efeito da flexão e a causa são as rotações nas lajes apoiadas por elas. / The present thesis contemplated a wide investigation about the vertical action distribution among structural masonry walls within a building. The building was characterized as related to the complex system of walls, which practice is the most customary in Brazil. It was developed a numerical analysis in the building aiming to predict the structural behavior on the experimental analysis, as well as a comparison among numerical models themselves. The experimental model consisted on a real scale building, which was monitored during its execution and after that, with a live load test. The monitoring was done with the usage of special masonry units, which were instrumented to convert itself in a load cell, on which the stress in each point of analysis could be determined. Tables and graphics were mounted to make feasible to verify the differences among all models analyzed. As main conclusions observed, one showed to be of great importance, which was the effect of bending on the walls caused by the rotations on the slabs supported by them.

Este trabalho apresenta a avaliação das tensões de cisalhamento nas interfaces verticais de paredes de alvenaria interconectadas em casos onde atuam simultaneamente carregamentos verticais e ações horizontais. Os valores obtidos para as máximas tensões de cisalhamento são comparados com as resistências estabelecidas na norma brasileira em vigor, NBR 10837 (ABNT, 1989), e no texto base para sua revisão. Os valores das referidas normas também são confrontados com valores experimentais, avaliando-se criticamente a aplicação dos limites normativos na prática de projetos de edifícios existentes. Adicionalmente, são avaliadas duas formas distintas de modelagem de edifícios de alvenaria estrutural, quando submetidos às ações horizontais. A primeira consiste em uma abordagem simplificada e bastante usual entre projetistas, a associação plana de paredes isoladas. Sua aferição é importante para fornecer ao projetista uma ferramenta que lhe permita obter resultados de maneira rápida e confiável. A segunda forma de modelagem é uma análise de pórtico tridimensional que permite uma análise mais completa das paredes de contraventamento, incluindo os efeitos das deformações por cisalhamento. Com o intuito de avaliar as diferenças observadas entre os dois modelos, foram empregados testes estatísticos, que permitem analisar se eles são estatisticamente iguais a um nível de significância de 5%. Para aquisição dos dados para as análises são feitos estudos de casos com quatro edifícios residenciais usuais, com diferentes arranjos arquitetônicos, variando-se o número de pavimentos em quatro, oito, doze e dezesseis, de modo a se obter maior representatividade dos resultados. Com os resultados obtidos nas avaliações, concluiu-se que os valores adotados como limites de resistência pelo texto base da revisão da NBR 10837 (ABNT, 1989) parecem ser rigorosos para realidade brasileira. Com relação à comparação dos modelos estudados, os testes estatísticos direcionam a uma conclusão importante, que é a de não haver diferença entre eles, para um nível de 5% de significância. / This work presents the evaluation of the shear stress at the vertical interfaces of interconnected masonry walls simultaneously subjected to vertical and horizontal loads. The obtained maximum shear stress values are compared to the shear strengths prescribed by the current Brazilian code, NBR 10837 (ABNT, 1989), and by its review base text. The prescribed values are also confronted with experimental values, critically evaluating the application of the regulatory limits in the practical design of existing buildings. Additionally, two different ways of modeling the structural masonry buildings when submitted by horizontal actions are evaluated. The first one is a simple approach, largely used by designers, that consists in the two dimensional association of isolated walls. Its evaluation is important to provide the designer with a quick and reliable analytical tool. The second way of modeling is a three dimensional frame analysis, which allows a more complete simulation of the shear walls, including the shear strain effects. In order to evaluate the differences between the two models, statistical tests were employed for examining whether they are statistically equal at a significance level of 5%. Case studies were performed taking into account four residential buildings with different architectural arrangements. The number of floors was also varied considering four, eight, twelve and sixteen, in order to obtain more meaningful results. The developed analysis showed that the strength limits prescribed by the review base text of the NBR 10837 (ABNT, 1989) seem to be very much strict according to the Brazilian common practice. Regarding the comparison of the studied analytical models, the statistical tests showed that there is no difference between them at a significance level of 5%.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2003-06-26Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:52:37Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_wj_me_ilha_prot.pdf: 5977807 bytes, checksum: b69a53f6ef92790ab2c12e142ddde420 (MD5) / Com a finalidade de contribuir para um melhor entendimento sobre a distribuição das ações verticais entre paredes de edifícios de alvenaria estrutural de blocos cerâmicos, foi desenvolvido no presente trabalho uma série de ensaios que visam a análise da eficiência de dois tipos de ligações usuais entre paredes: as ligações de amarração direta (contrafiada) e as ligações com amarração indireta, através de grampos metálicos e graute. Para a consecução desses objetivos foram desenvolvidos diferentes programas experimentais, que contemplaram desde a caracterização das propriedades mecânicas dos componentes da alvenaria (blocos, argamassa, graute e aço) até a ensaios em corpos-de-prova (paredes H) representativos das formas de ligações em estudo. Com o objetivo de se encontrar correlações com estes tipos de ligações, foram desenvolvidos, em paralelo, ensaios de cisalhamento em unidades (blocos) e ensaios em prismas especiais, aqui chamados prismas cavaletes. Por fim, os resultados experimentais obtidos no presente trabalho foram comparados com os resultados encontrados em modelos reduzidos, nas escalas 1:3 e 1:5, obtidos da revisão bibliográfica. / With the intend to contribute for a better understanding about the vertical loads spreading between the ceramic blocks walls of a structural masonry building, it was developed within the present work a series of tests aiming the analysis of the efficiency of two usual walls connections, one directly connected (stretcher, bond) and the other indirectly connected throughout steel staples and grout. For the attainment of these objectives it was developed different experimental programs, which contemplated since the mechanical properties characterization of the masonry componentes (blocks, mortar, grout and steel) until the tests on the studying connections representative specimen (H walls). Aiming to find the correlations for these types of connections, it was also developed, in parallel, shearing tests on the units (blocks) and tests on special prisms, called here by rack prisms. At the end, the experimental results obtained upon the present work were matched with the found small-scale results, on the (1:3) and (1:5) scales, obtained from the bibliographic revision.