Full‐scale studies of stiffening walls made of autoclaved aerated concrete

Autoclaved aerated concrete is successfully produced as masonry units to construct single and multi‐family houses. Residential buildings are often erected as load‐bearing structures. Although designers are used to verifying the masonry structure for mainly vertical loads, some elements must act as a stiffening of the building. Horizontal loads of the building can be caused not only by wind pressure and suction but also by uneven subsidence of the ground or mining influences. The role of the stiffening walls is to ensure the geometric invariability of the building and the safe transfer of horizontal loads to the foundations. The Silesian University of Technology conducts extensive research on stiffening walls on full‐scale models of single‐storey buildings. Experimental analyzes enable the description of the propagation and morphology of cracks. Designation of the behavior phases of the stiffening walls is the basis for developing the calculation methodology for stiffening elements.