Analysis of brick masonry walls strengthened with fibre reinforced polymers and subjected to eccentric compressive loads

Abstract

Fibre Reinforced Polymers laminates are currently used to strengthen brick masonry walls. However, no specific evidences of the structural response of this strengthening system when brick walls are subjected to eccentric compressive loads, which might lead to second order bending effects, have been found. An experimental campaign on real-size walls has been carried out and the results have been compared with a numerical model, which predicted the observed shear/compressive masonry failure, and a new analytical approach, which has been used to accurately calculate the load-bearing capacity of the walls. Useful considerations for the strengthening design are also presented.

Comparison between TRM and FRP strengthening systems at preventing buckling failure of brick masonry walls

“…For unreinforced cases, the analytical approach and the corresponding results are fully described in Bernat-Maso et al (4). The application of this methodology to FRP strengthened walls is presented in Bernat-Maso et al (18). In the next subsections a brief summary of this procedure and the corresponding results are presented to provide comparison data.…”

“…The second phase comprised fifteen walls strengthened with FRP. The details of these experimental campaigns might be found in Bernat et al (17) for the TRM strengthened ones and in Bernat-Maso et al (18) for the cases strengthened with FRP. Nevertheless, the key features first phase (control and TRM) and deduced from the compressive strength for the walls of the second phase as presented and justified in Bernat-Maso et al (18).…”

“…The Young's modulus (E m0 ) of the masonry was experimentally obtained for the cases of the The descending displacement of the top of the wall (v) and the lateral displacement at mid height (h) were measured along the test with potentiometric and laser sensors respectively for all tested walls. In addition, the strain at mid height in vertical direction was measured for all strengthened walls except W#25, W#26, W#28 and W#29 with one or more strain gages according with the specifications presented in {FormattingCitation} (17) and (18). In the cases with more than one measure, the average value is used and presented herein as the comparison result.…”

Assessing the performance of CFRP strengthening on masonry walls using experimental modal analysis

“…Fifteen brickwork wall specimens were built for the discussion of the performance of modal analysis to assess the FRP-strengthening intervention. These walls are described in detail in [4],…”

“…Strengthening masonry structures with externally bonded FRP is a consolidated technique that has focused the research of several authors in the last years. Effectiveness of FRP has been analysed for different masonry structures (pillars [1,2], walls [3,4] or vaults [5,6]), different types of FRP and different loading conditions: compression [7], static shear [8], cyclic shear [9], static bending [10] or cyclic bending [11].…”