Seismic Retrofit of Load Bearing URM Walls with Internally Placed Reinforcement and Surface-Bonded FRP Sheets

Abstract

Concrete block masonry is a common building material used worldwide, including Canada. Reinforced masonry buildings, designed according to the requirements of recent building codes, may result in seismically safe structures. However, unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings designed and constructed prior to the development of modern seismic design codes are extremely vulnerable to seismic induced damage. Replacement of older seismically deficient buildings with new and seismically designed structures is economically not feasible in most cases. Therefore, seismic retrofitting of deficient buildings remains to be a viable seismic risk mitigation strategy. Masonry load bearing walls are the most important elements of such buildings, potentially serving as lateral force resisting systems. A seismic retrofit research program is currently underway at the University of Ottawa, consisting of experimental and analytical components for developing new seismic retrofit systems for unreinforced masonry walls. The research project presented in this thesis forms part of the same overall research program. The experimental component includes design, construction, retrofit and testing of large-scale load bearing masonry walls. Two approaches were developed as retrofit methodologies, both involving reinforcing the walls for strength and deformability. The first approach involves the use of ordinary deformed steel reinforcement as internally added reinforcement to attain reinforced masonry behaviour. The second approach involves the use of internally placed post-tensioning tendons to attain prestressed masonry behaviour. The analytical component of research consists of constructing a Finite Element computer model for nonlinear analysis of walls and conducting a parametric study to assess the significance of retrofit design parameters. The results have led to the development of a conceptual retrofit design framework for the new techniques developed, while utilizing the seismic provisions of the National Building Code of Canada and the relevant CSA material standards.