EXPERIMENTAL BOND TESTS ON MASONRY PANELS STRENGTHENING BY FRP

A great number of existing masonry structures are currently undergoing a severe process of structural strengthening. One of the most promising strengthening techniques is the use of FRP sheets bonded to masonry structural elements. Nevertheless, in most cases the structural failure type of strengthened elements is FRP debonding from the support. Many experimental results on bond between brick and FRP are actually available in the literature, while only few researches are devoted on bond between brick masonry panels and FRP, even if the bond behaviour is definitely affected by the presence of mortar between bricks. In this context, the main present research objective is the experimental investigation of i) bond behaviour between brick masonry panels and FRP sheets, ii) the effect of surface preparation and iii) the effect of the type of brick on the bond strength. The paper will set out the results of this experimental campaign and their interpretation.