Design and Analysis of GFRP and Chicken Mesh Confined Brick Masonry Columns

Unreinforced masonry is used as the load-bearing element still, its low strength and ductility make it prone to earthquakes, extreme wind actions, foundation settlement and deterioration due to environmental effects. Brick columns are mostly used as load-bearing elements. So the failure of a column can have significant to the entire structure. In this paper, different strengthening techniques such as Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) and Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) have been developed to improve masonry's strength and deformation characteristics structures. The proposed study helps to identify the best suitable method to enhance the strength and structural performance of brick masonry columns. A total of 3 masonry column specimens were produced with Bricks and Mortar. The columns with 1200 mm height and cross-sectional dimensions of 210 mm × 210 mm were constructed. Out of 3, 2 specimens of columns were confined by using different composite materials like Glass-FRP and Chicken mesh FRCM. All column specimens have been tested under Loading Frame Facility, and the column tests’ outcomes have been evaluated in terms of strength and failure characteristics. GFRP confined brick masonry column showed confinement of 62.41% over unconfined brick masonry column whereas chicken mesh confined brick masonry column showed confinement of 26.62% over unconfined brick masonry column.