This paper shows a numerical investigation with single-lap shear bond tests between Peruvian brick masonry and SRG system. For this purpose, the finite element method, elements and constitutive models implemented in ABAQUS library were used. Eight-node continuum elements were employed for modelling mortar, masonry and steel fibers assuming a linear-elastic behaviour for the last two materials. Eight-node cohesive elements with zero-thickness were used to model substrate-mortar and steel-mortar interfaces. Due to experimental results showed the detachment of the steel fiber from the mortar accompanied by cracking of the outer mortar layer, the non-linearity of the mortar was also considered by using a Concrete Damage Plasticity constitutive model. The effect of the mortar non-linearity was compared with other models assuming a linear and rigid material for mortar, as recommended by litera...

Steel Reinforced Grout (SRG) is gaining popularity as a retrofitting system for structural elements due to advantages such as its effectiveness and ease of installation. The good performance of SRG system has turned out to be substantially dependent on the behaviour of the bond between the composite layer and the substrate. This paper presents an experimental study of the bond behaviour of Peruvian masonry strengthened with SRG, along with a characterization of the materials by means of direct tensile tests on the fiber and compression tests on the mortar. The criteria of the sample's geometry, construction and test procedure are discussed for each trial since up to now there has been a gap in the standards that control them. In addition, an analytical model is employed in order to obtain design bond parameters to define a Cohesive Material Law (CML). The strain profile, slip profile, fo...

In Peru, construction of dwellings using confined masonry walls (CM) has a high percentage of acceptance within many sectors of the population. It is estimated that only in Lima, 80% of the constructions use CM and at least 70% of these are informal constructions. This mean that they are built without proper technical advice and generally have a high seismic vulnerability. One way to reduce this vulnerability is by reinforcing the walls. However, despite the existence of some reinforcement methods in the market, not all of them can be applied massively because there are other parameters to take into account, as economical, criteria for seismic improvement, reinforcement ratio, etc. Therefore, in this paper the feasibility of using five reinforcement techniques has been studied and compared. These reinforcements are: welded mesh (WM), glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP), carbon fiber re...

Around the world, many informal masonry buildings have collapsed due to the failure of their bearing walls under lateral seismic loads. This is related to the many involved factors, such the quality of the materials, the quality of workmanship, the lack of technical intervention, and the high seismicity of the zone, among others. However, the fact is that these constructions need to be retrofitted in order to upgrade their ultimate strength and allow them to properly absorb inelastic deformations. Currently, fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) has been widely studied as a retrofitting technique. However, it has some technical and economic disadvantages that are remedied by fiber reinforced mortar (FRM). In this paper, a variant of FRM known as steel reinforced grout (SRG) is studied as a seismic retrofitting technique for cracked confined masonry walls (CMW). For this purpose, three full-scal...

This paper shows a novelty way to simulate the nonlinear behaviour of confined masonry walls subjected to in-plane lateral loading by using a 3D macro-modelling approach. For this purpose, the finite elements method implemented in ABAQUS software was used. All the 3D solid finite elements were modelled as a single part, which allowed avoiding modelling the contact interfaces between concrete and masonry elements. The nonlinear behaviour of the concrete and masonry were governed by two main types of failures: crushing and cracking, which were properly represented by the Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model. Steel rebars were modelled as elastic–plastic with hardening and were assumed to have a perfect adhesion with the surrounding concrete by means of the embedded constraint. Prior to the modelling process, experiments were carried out whose results were used as patterns to validate t...