Elegant Resistance: The Art & Engineering of Collapse-Resistant Masonry

Speaker: Heather Sustersic, PE, Colby Co Engineering

Designing masonry structures for progressive collapse resistance presents unique challenges due to limited published guidance and design examples. This seminar examines the design of a four-story load-bearing CMU building in accordance with UFC 4-023-01, highlighting practical design strategies, analytical methods, and detailing approaches. Participants will explore the use of arching action, continuity reinforcement, strut-and-tie modeling, deep beam theory, and finite element analysis to develop resilient masonry structures when established best practices are limited.

Learning Objectives
• Explain the principles of progressive collapse resistance and the requirements of UFC 4-023-01 as they apply to load-bearing masonry buildings.
• Identify the structural mechanisms, including arching action and continuity, that enable masonry walls to resist localized structural failures.
• Compare analytical approaches for progressive collapse design, including strut-and-tie modeling, deep beam theory, finite element analysis, and the applicability of ASCE 41 guidance.
• Apply practical detailing strategies for reinforcement continuity and load transfer to improve the resilience of load-bearing CMU structures against progressive collapse.