Shear strength of Tuff-Masonry Walls Retrofitted with CFRCM

Composite materials are getting more and more common as a strengthening technique of existing members and structures; fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) are widely used, while carbon-fiber reinforced cement matrix (CFRCM) materials have been proposed especially for masonry elements. In the present paper, the results of an experimental campaign carried out on tuff masonry walls strengthened in shear by a special kind of CFRCM material are reported and commented. The key findings about the observed experimental behaviour deals with the fact that due to the very poor mechanical properties of the masonry walls, failure usually occurs prematurely and is controlled by the low adhesion between the composite layer and the masonry substrate. Finally, comparisons between the experimental results and some analytical formulations available within the scientific literature for determining shear resistance of strengthened masonry walls are also proposed.