Design of FRP-Strengthened Infill-Masonry Walls Subjected to Out-of-Plane Loading

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening systems for infill-masonry walls are typically designed to resist flexural stresses caused by out-of-plane pressure. Previous research has shown that there are potential premature failure mechanisms caused by shear sliding of the infill, which could reduce the effectiveness of the strengthening system. Current design guidelines for strengthening of masonry walls with FRP do not include guidelines for infill-masonry. This paper presents a rational approach for the design and analysis of FRP-strengthened infill-masonry walls subjected to out-of-plane loading, including the effect of using FRP end anchorage. The approach is based on consideration of four potential mechanisms: arching, shear sliding, debonding of the FRP in the overlap region, and failure of the FRP end-anchorage system. The predictions based on the proposed rational approach agree well with the measured values from two experimental programs.