Flexural displacement response of NSM FRP retrofitted masonry walls

Abstract

Fifteen clay brick masonry wall tests were conducted to study the behaviour of near-surface-mounted (NSM) carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) retrofitted masonry walls in flexure. All walls were simply-supported along their top and bottom edges and tested in vertical one-way bending under three- and four-point bending and failed by intermediate crack debonding. The results of these experimental tests indicate that: (1) reverse cyclic loading and axial pre-compression had little effect on wall load-deflection response; (2) FRP strip spacing and reinforcement ratio strongly influenced wall response; and (3) for a constant reinforcement ratio, smaller strips at closer spacing gave better wall strength and displacement response. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.