Author

PENNA, A.
EUCENTRE, Pavia
MENON, A. and MAGENES, G.
University of Pavia, Department of Structural Mechanics

Abstract

In-plane cyclic tests on masonry piers show that the capacity of bed joint reinforced masonry elements can be higher than unreinforced ones, both in terms of shear strength and drift capacity. Such aspects can enhance the structural performance of masonry buildings with bed joint reinforcement with respect to unreinforced masonry structures. Compared to traditional horizontal reinforcement, flat-truss bed joint reinforcement has several advantages, including ease in construction both in the case of traditional mortar joints and thin layers mortar, regularity in spacing and reduced bond length due to welded connections. Numerical simulations carried out on a prototype structure aim to quantify the potential improvement of seismic performance provided by horizontal flat truss reinforcement.

Key words
Masonry structures, bed-joint reinforcement, seismic performance