EFFECTIVENESS OF BASALT FIBRE-REINFORCED CEMENTITIOUS SYSTEMS IN CONFINING MASONRY MEMBERS: AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION

The use of composites based on fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) to strengthen masonry columns has become a common practice in the last decades. FRPs, however, exhibit some shortcomings when applied to masonry substrates, due to the organic nature of their matrix. For this reason, increasing attention is paid today to composites based on fibre-reinforced cementitious matrices (FRCMs), in which the polymeric matrix is replaced with an inorganic matrix (such as cementitious mortars). Cementitious matrices guarantee higher breathability and compatibility with the substrate, less sensitivity to debonding at the interfaces, and higher resistance to fire and high temperatures. Moreover, due to the increasing demand for new materials not only mechanically efficient but also sustainable, composites reinforced with basalt fibres are becoming very appealing for strengthening masonry structures. Several works have been devoted to the application of composites to confine masonry, but only a few are about basalt fibres. Additionally, the small number of studies currently available on the confinement of masonry by means of FRCMs are mainly focused on the efficiency of this system in enhancing the mechanical performance of strengthened members. In fact, few indications are available on the modelling of the compressive behaviour of FRCM-confined masonry and few equations have been formulated to predict structural strength. Last but not least, comparisons on the performance of BFRP and BFRCM systems are still missing in the literature, a necessary step to quantify the effectiveness of cement-based composites in improving the performance of masonry columns. The aim of this study is the comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of BFRP and BFRCM systems in increasing the load carrying capacity and the ductility of confined masonry columns. Two are the main objectives: to assess the performance of basalt textile as a new material for strengthening applications; and to understand whether composites made with cementitious matrices and reinforced with basalt fibres are a valid alternative to FRPs for strengthening masonry columns.