Masonry Confinement Using Steel Strips
This paper presents the behavior of masonry columns confined with steel strips for increasing the axial capacity and stress-strain relationship. The test specimens are divided into three groups; each consists of three specimens with the variables: amount of reinforcement and cross-section aspect ratio. The cross-sectional aspect ratio of the three groups were 1, 2, 3 respectively. The experimental data and highlights different aspects of confinement. The steel strips enhance the ultimate stress and strain but this increase in strength is dependant on the cross-sectional aspect ratio. It is also concluded that the increase in load-carrying capacity and the deformability of masonry is significantly enhanced due to confinement using steel strips and the increase is linear to the average confining stress. The confinement of masonry with steel strips is quite viable and cheap option for strengthening
Behavior of Masonry Columns Repaired Using Small Diameter Cords
The innovative technique here illustrated is the result of historical evolution of ancient systems of hooping and is conditioned by design criteria that take into account the structural life in the respect of existing elements. It consists in the application of small diameter cords able to provide overlapping hoops at every course over the entire height of the column. Three series of uniaxial compression tests, with a total of 22 specimens, were conducted on model brick masonry columns with these variables: cross-section geometry, amount and scheme of confining reinforcement. Laboratory outcomes have shown how the investigated confining systems are able to provide significant gains in terms of compressive strength. Test results have been finally used to assess the reliability of the existing design equations suggested by Italian National Research Council for design of FRP strengthening of masonry columns.
Experimental In-Plane Shear Strength Investigation of Reinforced Concrete Masonry Walls
This paper presents test results of ten single-story reinforced concrete masonry shear walls. Test results are summarized and compared with design formulae specified by the New Zealand masonry design standard NZS 4230:1990 and by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. It was determined that the test walls exhibited shear strength significantly exceeding the NZS 4230:1990 maximum permissible shear stress, confirming that NZS 4230:1990 was overly conservative in accounting for masonry shear strength. It was also confirmed from the test results that masonry shear strength increases with the magnitude of applied axial compressive stress and the amount of shear reinforcement, but that the shear strength decreases inversely in relation to an increase in wall aspect ratio. In addition, it was shown that the postcracking performance of shear dominated walls was substantially improved when uniformly distributing the shear reinforcement up the height of the walls.