FRP-retrofitted URM walls under in-plane shear: review and assessment of available models

Abstract

In the last two decades, several seismic retrofitting techniques for masonry structures have been developed and practiced and fiber-reinforced polymer FRP material has been increasingly used owing to its high strength/stiffness to mass ratio and easy application. Although much research has been carried out on FRP strengthening of unreinforced masonry URM structures, most of it has been experimental studies to investigate the effectiveness of retrofitting techniques rather than the development of a rational design model. In addition, more research has been conducted on FRP-retrofitted URM walls under out-of-plane loads where flexural behavior dominates, the research on the shear strength of FRP-retrofitted URM walls has been limited. This paper presents a review of research in this area. Existing retrofitting techniques are overviewed, followed by a detailed discussion of experimental results of failure modes as they are directly related to the design model. The available design models are then assessed based on a test database collected from the available literature. Limitations of each model are addressed.