Strengthening of Confined Masonry Structures for In-plane Loads: a Review

Abstract

Confined masonry is a load-bearing masonry structure where walls are confined with nominally reinforced concrete elements at key locations. This building typology is popularly used in many countries as it generally performs better than the unreinforced masonry and non-ductile RC infill masonry under seismic loads. However, the confined masonry buildings have also experienced damage during past earthquakes. Poor seismic performance is generally seen due to construction errors, design flaws or material deficiencies in the building design and construction process. To overcome the structural deficiencies researchers have used different strengthening techniques for confined masonry walls such as application of ferrocement overlay, steel bands, and fiber-reinforced polymers. There are several inherent advantages and disadvantages of these strengthening techniques in terms of efficiency, bonding with the substrate material, durability, ease in construction and economy. This article will review and discuss the in-plane strengthening of confined masonry walls with conventional and fiber-reinforced materials and will highlight the gap areas and scope for future research.