In-plane lateral load behaviour of confined masonry walls retrofitted using carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers

Abstract

This paper investigates the behaviour of retrofitted confined masonry walls subjected to in-plane lateral loads. Three full-scale retrofitted wall assemblies with carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer sheets, consisting of a clay masonry panel, two confining columns and a tie beam, were tested under a combination of vertical load and monotonic pushover up to failure. Wall panels had various configurations, namely solid and perforated walls with window and door openings. The walls were compared to the performance of similar un-retrofitted walls. Experimental results showed the ability of the retrofitting scheme to significantly enhance both the load-carrying capacity and displacement ductility of the walls. An analytical investigation was conducted using the finite element method to build a model capable of simulating the response of the tested walls. The validated model was used to conduct a parametric study on untested design configurations. Alternative retrofitting schemes showed either response or economic merits over the experimentally tested one.