DOI: 10.5176/2301-394X_ACE14.103
Authors: Arkadiusz Kwiecień
Abstract:
Strengthening of cracked masonries of poor construction using composite materials of high strength and stiff adhesives of low deformability, like lime and cement mortars or epoxy resins, does not increase significantly the capacity of masonries in seismic areas. This is because of the stress concentration occurrence. The use of highly deformable materials as adhesive and matrix allows reducing peaks of stress concentration in weak brittle substrates, causing increase of composite strengthening effectiveness.
In the paper, there were tested masonry units (bricks Rosso Vivo - A6R55W) strengthened by GFRP, BFRP and CFRP fibers bonded on epoxy resin and highly deformable polymer PS. The Single Lap Shear Test was used for comparison of stiff and deformable matrix and adhesive materials, bonding various fibers to the brittle substrate. The significant strength increase of the tested masonry specimens was obtained in the case of the use of highly deformable interface materials than of barely deformable bonding materials. Lower level of the shear stress in the substrate results in increasing of load capacity of masonries, thus applying of the highly deformable polyurethane PS as matrix and adhesive to the weak masonry substrate is more advantageous than classically using stiff epoxy adhesives.
Keywords: composite materials, natural fibers, repair of masonries, reduction of stress concentration, high deformability
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