Out-of-plane experimental study of strengthening slender non-structural masonry walls

Klun, Martin (author), Antolinc, David (author), Bosiljkov, Vlatko (author)

Non-structural masonry partition walls, which are mainly designed to functionally separate spaces in the buildings and provide physical barriers between rooms, were traditionally built from either solid or hollow clay units or autoclaved aerated concrete blocks. Recent earthquakes have revealed the high vulnerability of these elements, even in the case of low to moderate seismic events. Public buildings (e.g., hospitals and schools) are particularly vulnerable. Due to their greater floor-to-floor heights and the response spectra of floors, the dynamic response of primary structure may provoke significantly higher seismic loads on partition walls. The main goal of the presented experimental study was to investigate the behavior of slender partition walls loaded out-of-plane with a simple and cost-effective approach that may be applied through routine refurbishment works. Eleven full-scale slender non-structural masonry partition walls were built with brickwork and cement lime mortar. Eight of them were additionally strengthened with different techniques, including glass fiber-reinforcing fabric and low-cost glass fiber-rendering mesh. To evaluate the efficiency of the applied strengthening solutions, out-of-plane quasi-static cyclic experiments were conducted. By applying meshes over the entire surfaces, the resistance was significantly improved with the low-cost approach reaching half of the resistance of the commercially available strengthening system preserving the same displacement capacity.

• Language: English
• Keywords: non-structural masonry partition walls, seismic strengthening, glass fiber, out-of-plane behavior, cyclic loading, strengthening, seismic performance
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 24 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 19, art. 9098
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-131849
• UDC: 624.04
• ISSN on article: 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app11199098
• COBISS.SI-ID: 78654211
• Publication date in RUL: 04.10.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Applied sciences
• Shortened title: Appl. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3417
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522979353

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: nekonstrukcijski predelni zidovi, protipotresno utrjevanje, steklena vlakna, izvenravninsko obnašanje, ciklično obremenjevanje

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0185
• Name: Potresno inženirstvo

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Funding programme: Young researchers