Brick masonry panels strengthened with textile reinforced mortar: experimentation and numerical analysis

Composites materials comprising textiles embedded in organic or inorganic matrices are receiving great attention for their aptitude to be effectively applied as strengthening systems in existing structural components. The use of a Basalt Textile Reinforced Mortar (BTRM) composite to improve the in-plane shear behavior of brick masonry panels is here studied. The reinforcement is externally bonded to the masonry substrate. An experimental campaign is carried out involving diagonal compression tests on specimens strengthened with the BTRM system applied on one and both panel surfaces, experiencing asymmetric and symmetric reinforcement. The experimental response of unreinforced and reinforced panels is analyzed in terms of stress-strain curves, strength, stiffness and deformation capacity, crack pattern and failure mode. The experimental results are also compared with those obtained from a previous campaign carried out by the authors on tuff masonry panels reinforced with the same BTRM system, with the aim to investigate its effectiveness when applied to different masonry types. Finally, a relatively simple numerical model, suitably calibrated, is used to interpreter and analyze the results of the experimental investigation, leading to a validation of the model itself.