Experimental and Numerical Study of the "Indirect" Reinforcement Systems for Masonry Walls

The brick is one of the most common construction materials used for vertical masonry structures such as walls and pillars. These structural elements are subjected to local compression due to the beams and the lintels. It is possible to increase the strength of brick structures by using structural reinforcement systems. Among these, “indirect reinforcements” – which are applied in the horizontal joints of the masonry – require a more thorough study as they have been poorly discussed in standards and literature. To this aim, the Authors have conducted experimental studies on masonry walls with different positions and number of indirect reinforced meshes identifying the main factors affecting the strength of reinforced brickwork under local compression load. The experimental results are discussed and compared with the results obtained on unreinforced masonry walls. Moreover, the Authors have developed a numerical model calibrated on the basis of experimental results in order to numerically reproduce the mechanical behavior of the reinforced masonry walls and the failure mechanisms. As a result of investigation was established that in the case of local compressive loading applied on the edge of the wall, the most effective is reinforcement with three meshes located in each row of masonry directly under load applying zone.