Parametric Analyses of the Response of Masonry Walls with Reinforced Plaster

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a parametric study on the response of unreinforced and retrofitted masonry specimens. The adopted strengthening technique is the steel-reinforced plaster, which is very commonly used but it is not supported by a proper theoretical and experimental characterization in the scientific literature. The aim was to investigate the main parameters that affect the structural performances of the walls. Several numerical models were implemented using the finite element method to analyze the influence of the bricks’ arrangements, the mechanical properties of the mortar joints, the number of connectors, and the mechanical properties and thickness of the plaster coating. A concrete damage plasticity model was adopted to describe the bricks, the mortar joints, and the plaster behaviors. For the unreinforced specimens, the outcomes confirmed that the mortar strength had a significant influence on the performance of the wall, together with the presence of potential weaknesses in the bricks, while the bond effect was negligible. For reinforced walls, the connectors do not have a significant influence on retrofitted wall capacity but may prevent instability if a proper number is considered. Furthermore, the strength of the plaster coating does not affect the collapse load significantly, while increasing the fracture energy, which can be produced, for instance, by using fiber-reinforced concrete, increases the capacity of retrofitted walls, with more limited damage. Finally, an increase in the plaster thickness may be beneficial in terms of collapse load, even though greater thickness may increase the seismic masses significantly.

Seismic Effects on the Stone Masonry of Rubik Church in Albania: Interaction Modeling of Different Masonry Panel Types

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Seismic Vulnerability Evaluation of a Historical Masonry Tower: Comparison between Different Approaches

“…Since these buildings were originally designed to resist gravity loads only, they often suffered serious damage during earthquakes [1][2][3][4]. The importance of protecting their historical and cultural value and the need to guarantee their structural safety to avoid loss of life during earthquakes has increased the interest of researchers and engineers in the study and assessment of their seismic behavior [5][6][7][8][9][10][11] in order to propose the most appropriate retrofitting interventions [12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Plastic–Concrete Waterproof Walls of an Underground Granary Subject to Combined Bending Moment and Water Pressure

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