Research project LehmBeben
Seismic design of earth masonry walls in the wall plane
Project name Seismic design of earth masonry walls in the wall plane
Acronym LehmBeben
Project partner
Grantor Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, WIR-Bündnis GOLEHM
Duration 01.05.2025 – 28.02.2028 (34 months)

Research field
 M+M
(E+E > Energy + Environment
I+I > Information + Intelligence
M+M > Matter + Materials)
Project content
The research project focuses on the load-bearing and deformation behaviour of earth masonry walls under earthquake loading in the wall plane (in-plane) with the aim of developing a corresponding design concept that can be integrated into the standard.
DIN 18940 now exists as a standard for load-bearing earth masonry structures, which regulates the basic design. However, this design standard is not yet complete in some areas. This also includes the earthquake design of load-bearing earth masonry walls, which has not yet been standardised nor does it form a significant part of current research. The research project is thus based on the current state of science and addresses a research gap whose relevance will continue to increase due to the constant further development (potentially greater building heights) of earth masonry structures. The motivation for the research project is therefore the further advancement of solid earth masonry construction by creating a basis for the seismic design of load-bearing earth masonry walls that can contribute to the expansion of standardisation.
In the course of the project, experimental and numerical investigations will be carried out on the in-plane load-bearing behaviour of small test specimens and storey-high earth masonry walls, whereby the earthquake-relevant properties of earth masonry walls will be determined and their influence on the earthquake load-bearing capacity analysed.
Based on the knowledge gained, design methods are then developed in accordance with EC 8 and DIN 4149 by adapting existing concepts for the earthquake design of conventional masonry to earthen masonry.The aim is to develop a design method that is compatible with the existing earth masonry and earthquake standards and can be incorporated into new, revised versions of the standards. The result of the research project will therefore make an important contribution to the further development of load-bearing earth masonry construction.