Rubble Stone Masonry Walls Strengthened by Three-Dimensional Steel Ties and Textile Reinforced Mortar Render, Under Compression

Abstract

This article concerns the results of a structural strengthening solution for rubble stone masonry walls. The strengthening involved inserting three-dimensional steel ties through the thickness of the walls and applying a 30 mm layer of air-lime/cement mortar render, reinforced with glass fiber mesh (textile reinforced mortar), on both sides of the wall. This study was part of an experimental research program carried out in Universidade Nova de Lisboa, to evaluate a number of structural strengthening solutions for ancient rubble stone masonry buildings and it was sponsored by several industrial companies. In this research program, specimens of rubble stone masonry walls without strengthening (reference specimens) and others with the specified strengthening solution were subjected to compression tests. The strengthening solution was found to be efficient for rehabilitating ancient rubble stone masonry walls due to confinement, which offsets the low cohesive capacity of the mortar used in the walls, thus improving the mechanical resistance and delaying collapse mechanisms.