Numerical seismic performance of a rammed earth dwelling considering the use of a textile reinforced mortar system

Rammed earth buildings represent a considerable portion of the existing vernacular building stock of several countries and they are very common in the southern region of Portugal. The historical and architectural values of these constructions, along with their recognized high seismic vulnerability, have made the structural rehabilitation of earthen buildings a priority among the scientific community. Despite some recent studies, the prediction of the seismic response of these buildings is still a challenging task. This paper presents the results of a numerical investigation on the seismic behaviour of a representative rammed earth building located in Alentejo (South of Portugal). Numerical analyses are performed on a plain and a strengthened building, by means of an advanced finite element modelling approach. A low-cost textile reinforced mortar (LC-TRM) composite is adopted to strengthen the earthen construction. Pushover analyses by mass-based lateral load pattern are performed to investigate the effect of the adopted strengthening solution. The results are discussed in terms of capacity curves and failure mechanisms.