Strengthening of masonry walls subjected to out-of-plane loads using CFRPs

This paper presents an experimental investigation carried out on masonry panels subjected to axial load and bending moment in the plane of minor inertia. The masonry type consist of calcarenite ashlars and mortar joints; the reinforcement is made of Carbon Fibres Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strips applied with the wet-lay-up system. Tests are carried out with controlled displacements. Results have been recorded at each step in terms of: horizontal force and corresponding displacements; moment and curvature at the base of the wall; strains on the CFRP strips near the base of reinforced specimens in order to observe the delamination phenomen. Comparison between the results relative to unreinforced and reinforce specimens allows evaluation of the effectiveness of reinforcing technique.