A parametrical study of masonry beams through numerical modelling has been performed in order to better understand the mechanical behaviour of these elements. Boundary conditions, geometry and reinforcement ratios are the main parameters analysed in this study. The numerical simulation is performed with DIANA® software, based on the Finite Elements Method. A comparison between numerical and experimental results is presented in order to validate the simulation. In conclusion, it was verified that the behaviour of masonry beams is greatly affected by the boundary conditions and geometry, as expected. With regard to reinforcement, it was noted that horizontal reinforcement increases the flexural strength of beams. On the other hand, variation in horizontal reinforcement had no influence on the shear resistance of masonry beams. Finally, the combination of horizontal and vertical reinforcement is shown to enhance the flexural and shear behaviour of masonry beams.This work was in part supported by a contract from DISWall - "Development of innovative systems for reinforced masonry walls' - (COOP-CT-2005-018120) awarded by the European Commission. The first author was supported by the Programme Alssan, the European Union Programme of High Level Scholarships for Latin America, Scholarship no E06D100148BR
