Influence of Different Mortar Matrices on the Effectiveness of FRCM Composites for Confining Masonry Columns

What is it about?

Confinement of masonry columns is a successful technique to increase the load-bearing capacity while reducing the lateral expansion. Currently, wrapping is made using FRCM jackets. In the paper it is shown that that this technique is effective, as evidenced by the experimental compression tests performed by the authors at the laboratory of the university of Florence, and that its effectiveness depends on the type of composite matrix. However, the predictive formulas available in the literature do not seem to be able to reliably estimate such effectiveness (i.e. the increase in compression strength). In the paper, two different equations to distinguish FRCM-matrices with compression strength higher or lower than the strength of the unconfined column are proposed.

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