Experimental In-Plane Seismic Response of Masonry Walls Strengthened with Innovative Modular Steel Solutions
摘要
An experimental campaign, conducted at the EUCENTRE Foundation in Pavia (Italy), aimed to assess the in-plane seismic behaviour of different typologies of traditional masonry, representative of Italy's building heritage, strengthened with innovative integrated dry solutions providing both seismic and thermal insulation performance. The campaign included comprehensive mechanical characterization of materials, masonry and reinforcement elements, as well as cyclic pseudo-static in-plane shear-compression tests on full-scale unreinforced and strengthened masonry specimens. The study investigated several masonry typologies, including solid clay bricks arranged in both header and English bond patterns, typical Italian hollow clay “Doppio UNI” units arranged in a Flemish bond pattern, and unconnected double-leaf rubble stone masonry. Various strengthening solutions, developed by the Italian company Progetto Sisma, were tested, consisting of modular steel elements anchored to the exterior surface of the masonry. Results highlighted their effectiveness, showing significant improvements in both strength and deformation capacity of the specimens compared to unreinforced panels. Notably, the systems successfully limited crack opening as the imposed displacement level increased. To extend the experimental findings, a numerical campaign using FEM/DEM modelling was conducted. The objective of this ongoing study is to establish deformation thresholds for code-compliant limit states in strengthened masonry and to develop an analytical formulation for quantifying the strength increase provided by the strengthening systems. These findings are essential for drafting guidelines for the design of strengthening interventions for existing masonry buildings with Progetto Sisma’s systems. This article details the main results from the experimental campaign, focusing on some significant cases.