This study presents the results of an experimental and numerical program carried out on unreinforced masonry panels strengthened by textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) plastering. For this purpose, five panels were constructed, instrumented and tested in diagonal shear mode. Two panels were tested as reference. The first reference panel was left unstrengthened, while the second one was strengthened by a traditional self-supporting cement mortar matrix reinforced with steel meshes. The remaining three panels were strengthened by TRM plastering applied on one or both faces and connected with transversal composite anchors. The numerical and the experimental results evidenced a good effectiveness of the TRM systems, especially when applied on both panel facings.

Unreinforced masonry (URM) structures represent a large share of the dwelling stock, traditional industrial buildings and historical heritage of mankind. Most of the URM structures have been built with little or, in some cases, no seismic provisions. In order to overcome this drawback, the application of external reinforcement layers, especially those made of composites, to improve the structural behavior of masonry structures has been a research focus area during the past decades. The aim of this paper is to propose and assess a simplified and accepted Finite Element (FE) modelling strategy to simulate the diagonal compression test of the URM walls strengthened with glass fibre meshes embedded in a cement-based mortar. In the case of masonry walls strengthened with composites reinforced with glass fibre meshes, both the masonry material model and the modelling and the meshing of the composite strengthening system need to be addressed by taking into account the complex phenomena that characterise the bond interaction between the glass fibre mesh, mortar and the masonry support. The FE analyses were developed with reference to the experimental tests available in the current literature and, according to the preliminary outcomes of an experimental program which is currently under development at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Building Services, Iasi.

The paper presents a comparative analysis between different configurations of composite laminates with respect to the delamination onset and growth. The results are presented in terms of the total displacement jumps at the crack tip for an initial imposed displacement up to the final delamination. Therefore, the influence of fibre orientation and the suitable selection of the configuration of the composite laminates are discussed. Moreover, the effect of the adjacent layers on the interlaminar damage of composite laminates is analysed. In this context, a significant number of numerical models have been carried out for two different configurations of multi-layered composites, namely [05/+θ/+θ/05] and [05/+θ/-θ/05]. The influence of the orientation of the adjacent layers is investigated, as well as the sign of the fibre orientation angles. The analysed composite laminates are subjected to tensile opening fracture mode, considering a pre-existing initial crack located at the interface between the layers from the middle plane. The variation of the mode I opening displacement with respect to the fibre orientation angle of the adjacent layers is graphically illustrated. The obtained results show similarities in the variation of Poisson’s ratio with respect to the fibre orientation. Therefore, the mismatch of the Poisson’s ratio of the adjacent laminas may involve significant interlaminar stresses which can lead to a delamination failure or an opening fracture mode.

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