Reinforced repointing technique to strengthen masonry

The “reinforced repointing technique” consists in replacing the mortar of existing horizontal joints of masonry with a material having high tensile strength. This technique permits to use composites thin pultruded laminae or steel textile sheets as reinforcing material, sealing the external part of joint to hide the application on the historical constructions. The main beneficial effects for a repointed masonry are a) and increased compressive strength and ductility, b) pseudo-vertical cracks are contrasted and c) the long term deformation (creep effects) are attenuated. In this study an analytical procedure is developed in the elastic range considering isotropic and orthotropic repointing materials. Results obtained from numerical simulations are also presented.