In-Plane Behavior of Clay Brick Masonry Wallets Strengthened by TRM System

Abstract

Due to the poor shear capacity of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls, it is necessary to strength these elements in the masonry structures. Textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) composites have received extensive attention as a sustainable solution for seismic strengthening of masonry and historical structures. This new system is composed of textile fibers embedded in an inorganic matrix such as lime-based mortar and is applied on the masonry substrate surface as an externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) system. Lime-based mortars are preferred for application to masonry and historical structures due to compatibility, sustainability issues, breathability and capability of accommodating structural movements. Owing to the novelty of these materials in application to masonry structures, several aspects related to their performance with URM wallets ‏are still not clear. To that end, a new study has been lunched that looks at the effect of textile-reinforced mortar system ‏on the improvement the shear capacity of clay brick wallets. For this purpose, hydraulic lime-based mortar and the glass fiber are used, as TRM system. The results show TRM composite increases the ultimate load of strengthened wallet, in comparison to the URM wallet. Another key point to remember is that TRM system causes the failure mode of wallet to change and improve its performance under diagonal compression test.