Search results for "masonry"
showing 10 items of 164 documents
Constitutive Models for the Tensile Behaviour of TRM Materials: Literature Review and Experimental Verification
2021
In recent years, the scientific community has focused its interest on innovative inorganic matrix composite materials, namely TRM (Textile Reinforced Mortar). This class of materials satisfies the need of retrofitting existing masonry buildings, by keeping the compatibility with the substrate. Different recent studies were addressed to improve the knowledge on their mechanical behaviour and some theoretical models were proposed for predicting the tensile response of TRM strips. However, this task is complex due to the heterogeneity of the constituent materials and the stress transfer mechanism developed between matrix and fabric through the interface in the cracked stage. This paper present…
Masonry Compressive Strength Prediction Using Artificial Neural Networks
2019
The masonry is not only included among the oldest building materials, but it is also the most widely used material due to its simple construction and low cost compared to the other modern building materials. Nevertheless, there is not yet a robust quantitative method, available in the literature, which can reliably predict its strength, based on the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of its components. This limitation is due to the highly nonlinear relation between the compressive strength of masonry and the geometrical and mechanical properties of the components of the masonry. In this paper, the application of artificial neural networks for predicting the compressive strength of m…
The Collapse and Restoration of the Church of Saint Mary of Itria in Piazza Armerina (Sicily, Italy)
2019
The paper illustrates the damages occurred to masonry buildings due to incorrect consolidation interventions dated back to the 1980s that, according to the culture of the time, were oriented to the replacement of structural elements with new heavy ones, thus changing the static scheme. The case study concerns the seventeenth century church of Saint Mary of Itria in Piazza Armerina, affected in 2007 by the collapse of the one side wall of the apse. After illustrating the historical evolution and the actual state of the building, the investigations carried out to identify the causes of collapse and provide for appropriate reconstruction interventions are reported. The results of hydro-geologi…
Effectiveness of BFRP confinement on the compressive behaviour of clay brick masonry cylinders
2020
Abstract This paper presents the results of an experimental and analytical study on the compressive behaviour of small clay brick masonry cylinders reinforced with a basalt fibre reinforced polymer (BFRP) composite. Fourteen cylinders, manufactured using two assembling schemes and confined using either one or two layers of BFRP grids, were tested under monotonic compression loading. Traditional strain measuring systems were integrated with digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The BFRP confined masonry cylinders showed a ductile behaviour characterised by a softening branch of the stress–strain curve. The experimental strains, strength, and full stress–strain curves were modelled using…
STATE OF THE ART ON BOND BETWEEN FRCM SYSTEMS AND MASONRY/CONCRETE SUBSTRATE: DATABASE ANALYSIS AND IMPROVED MODELS
2023
The use of the Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Mortars (FRCMs) is nowadays a promising solution for the strengthening of both reinforced concrete and masonry structural elements. The application consists of a bond-dependent face-to-face plastering of an open grid or mesh by means of an inorganic-based matrix, i.e. a cement-based mortar. The main advantage of such a strengthening technique is the good compatibility with different types of substrates since the most suitable matrix can be selected focusing on the most similar breathability and stiffness. On the other side, the strengthening efficiency could be over-estimated if the potential bond failure is neglected. The FRCM-bond behaviour de…
Experimental application of digital image correlation for the tensile characterization of basalt FRCM composites
2021
Abstract Composites made with inorganic matrix, namely fabric reinforced cementitious mortar (FRCM) composites are becoming widespread as strengthening materials for existing masonry structures. These composites are made of a dry grid of fibres embedded in an inorganic matrix. FRCMs can be considered a valid alternative to traditional organic composites such as fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs) because of their better compatibility with the masonry support. This work presents an experimental study for the tensile characterization of a basalt fabric reinforced cementitious mortar (BFRCM) composite. Tensile tests were carried out on coupons reinforced with one, two or three layers of grid to i…
Numerical analysis of masonry structures via interface models
2001
The present paper is devoted to the theoretical formulation and numerical implementation of an interface model suitable to simulate the behavior of mortar joints in masonry structures. The interface laws are formulated in the framework of elasto-plasticity for non-standard materials in order to simulate the softening response which occurs along the decohesion process in presence of shear and tension tractions. A variable material dilatancy parameter is introduced together with a further geometrical dilatancy related to the roughness of contact surfaces after joint fracture. An asperity model is adopted with the aim to describe the evolution of the contact surface shape during the loss of co…
On the FE·Meshless computational homogenization for the analysis of two-dimensional heterogeneous periodic materials
2017
Over the last few years, substantial progresses have been made in the two-scales com- putational homogenization. This method is essentially based on the assessment of the macroscopic constitutive behavior of heterogeneous materials through the boundary value problem (BVP) of a statistically representative volume element, named as unit cell (UC). In this framework, the first-order method has now matured to a standard tool and several extensions have been addressed in the literature [1, 2]. In the present study, a first-order homogenization scheme based on a discontinuous- continuous approach is presented. At the mesoscopic level the formation and propagation of fracture is modeled employing …
Testing of “Global Young's Modulus E” on a rehabilitated masonry bell tower in Venice
2017
Abstract This paper shows the effectiveness of the techniques chosen for the rehabilitation of the historic “Sant'Andrea” masonry bell-tower in Venice. The achieved rehabilitation projects based on the indenting technique consisting in removing and replacing bricks in bad conditions, and on the isolation of the bells at the belfry quote, respect all the constraints represented by the aesthetic and structural features of the building. Moreover, the experimental analyses used to define the existing state of the structure are described in detail. The tower is also an interesting case study for the validation of the proposed method to determine the global young's modulus in a rehabilitated maso…
Definition of Seismic Vulnerability Maps for Civil Protection Systems: The Case of Lampedusa Island
2016
The opportunity to locate and quantify the major criticalities associated to natural catastrophic events on a territory allows to plan adequate strategies and interventions by civil protection bodies involved in local and international emergencies. Seismic risk depends, most of all, on the vulnerability of buildings belonging to the urban areas. For this reason, the definition, by a deep analysis of the territory, of instruments identifying and locating vulnerability, largely favours the activities of institutions appointed to safeguard the safety of citizens. This paper proposes a procedure for the definition of vulnerability maps in terms of vulnerability indexes and critical peak ground …