Optimal Reinforcement for Masonry Walls subject to Two-Way Bending

In this paper, the problem of finding the optimal layout of the reinforcement for out-of-plane loaded masonry walls is dealt with by a topology optimization approach. The layout of the reinforcing layers that minimizes the structural compliance (i.e., that maximizes the structural stiffness) for a given amount of reinforcement is sought, using a multi-constrained topology optimization algorithm. The reinforcement is assumed to be placed symmetrically on both sides of the wall. The proposed approach is applied to the determination of the optimal reinforcement of solid and windowed panels. The increase in stiffness given by the numerically predicted reinforcement layout compared with the unreinforced panels is pointed out.