In-plane and out-of-plane strength of different masonry bonds along with the effect of some waste materials for strengthening masonry wallets

Abstract

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the potential improvements in the in-plane and out-of-plane strength of masonry wallets. Four different strengthening materials, namely, wire meshes, PP bands, used cement bags and waste textiles, are used to strengthen the masonry wallets. The effect of strengthening due to the use of steel wire mesh is well-accepted and understandable. However, the other three materials are either environmental waste or cause long-run environmental pollution. If these can be effectively used for strengthening and the extent of strengthening can be compared with whatever is observed for steel wire mesh and if found to be suitable, then the use of such material would have the advantage of maintaining a cleaner environment. Test results showed that English and Flemish bonds exhibit superior strengths than the other masonry bond types. On the other hand, the strengthening measures also can significantly improve the strength and ductility of masonry wallets under both shear and flexural loads and prevent brittle failure. These strengthening materials are also helpful in attributing higher ductility by containing the broken fragments of the masonry. Further, the improvement in strength is considerable, as presented in detail in the paper. The increase in strength and ductility is in the order of 231%–171% and 7.75 to 1.69, respectively. Using the PP bands, used cement bags and waste textiles may be beneficial for their availability leading towards the reduction of waste materials.