Masonry walls strengthened with Textile Reinforced Mortars (TRM) and subjected to in-plane cyclic loads after real fire exposure

Abstract

A key feature that determines the seismic performance of masonry buildings is the ability of the walls to withstand in-plane cyclic loads. In this context, Textile Reinforced Mortars (TRM) have proven to be a very suitable strengthening solution, although their effectiveness after high temperature exposure is currently practically unexplored. This paper proposes an experimental campaign with full-scale brick walls and carbon fiber TRM, tested to failure under horizontal cyclic in-plane loads, after being exposed to temperatures of about 1000 °C by exposure to real fire. TRM is applied on one or both sides of the walls, and after or before exposure to fire, to simulate different scenarios that a real building could be exposed to. The results show that high temperatures can seriously compromise the integrity of the walls, while TRM can provide effective protection and prevent cracking of masonry from fire. Even after previous fire damage, the reinforcements can double the shear strength of unreinforced damaged walls, and provide high ductility and energy dissipation capacity. However, it is important to note that TRM, even undamaged, may not be able to properly retrofit a severely fire-damaged wall.