Openings

Use the Openings option to define the position of the masonry wall openings, eg, doors and windows.

There are 2 methods of checking the wall when there are openings in it.

The sub-panel method which splits the wall into smaller panels based around the edges of the openings. A maximum of 2 openings can be considered with this method.

The Advanced Yield Line Method which can accommodate up to 10 openings and usually gives a more economical solution.

Sub-panel method:- up to 2 openings can be defined in the wall. The user can then choose to span the main sub-panels horizontally, vertically or use the reduced partial fixity method.

                              Sub panels spanning horizontally.

                              Sub panels spanning vertically.

          Sub panels spanning vertically using the partial fixity (mixed) method.

                              Reduced fixity method

If you choose to select span vertically, then you have the option to use Partial Fixity to main sub-panels. This will increase the size of the secondary panel above and below the openings. It will also take a partial fixity equal to 50% of the solid height to increase the support on the vertical edges of the main sub-panels from fully free to partially simply supported.

If the opening is small, the Reduced Fixity method can be used. It is assumed the stiffness of the opening framing will act with the wall panel to improve the wall capacity. This is achieved by allowing the panel to act as a whole, but with reduced fixity along the edges as a ratio of the opening length/height to the overall wall length/height. A small opening is defined in MasterSeries as a maximum of 30% of the wall length and 30% of the wall height.

Advanced Yield Line method:- up to 10 openings can be accommodated in the wall. The yield line method will analyse the wall and openings and produce yield lines for which the wall capacity is subsequently checked. This will usually give a more economical solution than the sub-panel method above.

Enter the horizontal distance to the start of the opening from the left hand side of the panel (X1) in metres.

Enter the height to the bottom of the opening (Y1), the opening width and height and whether it is 2-way, horizontally or vertical spanning.

There are also options for the bottom of the opening to be free, eg a door, or to be open where the wind would pass through it, ie, a genuine opening.