SEISMIC RETROFIT OF UNREINFORCED CLAY BRICK MASONRY WALL USING POLYMER-CEMENT MORTAR

The present study is to investigate the seismic performance of unreinforced masonry (URM) wall retrofitted with reinforced polymer-cement mortar (PCM). Four unreinforced clay brick masonry wall specimens with 100 mm in wall thickness were constructed first, then three of them were retrofitted with PCM applied on one of their surfaces forming a thickness of 40 mm, in which different vertical and horizontal steel bars had been arranged. The specimens were tested under cycle reversal loading method. Test results demonstrate that the application of reinforced PCM wall provides higher lateral load carrying capacity to URM wall, and also different failure modes were observed in three retrofit wall specimens. Ultimate lateral strength of the URM wall retrofitted with reinforced PCM wall is discussed by employing existing methods to predict flexural and shear strengths for masonry and R/C walls, respectively.