Modelling of the In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Performance of TRM-Strengthened Masonry Walls

Abstract

Tensile Reinforced Mortars (TRMs) are promising composites that address the compatibility demands required for strengthening of masonry and historical constructions. Although many recent studies have been devoted to the use of these materials for strengthening purposes, several issues such as efficiency for improving the structural performance are clearly open. The aim of this paper is to numerically investigate the effectiveness of TRM systems on the in-plane and out-of-plane response of masonry walls. Numerical models are adopted to describe the nonlinear behaviour and the failure mechanisms of unreinforced and strengthened walls. It is shown that the implementation of TRM layers improve largely the performance of the masonry walls both in terms of strength and displacement capacity.