Experimental Behavior of Masonry Vaults Strengthened with Thin Extradoxal or Intradoxal Layer of Fiber Reinforced Lime Mortar

The results of a first experimental research program on masonry vaults strengthened by means of GFRP meshes embedded in a thin layer of lime mortar, are herein presented. The tests were designed to reproduce the pattern of a transversal horizontal load proportional to the vault self-weight. The typical simplified loading patterns generally used for the experimental tests concern concentrated vertical loads at the crown section or at 1/4 of the span, but some numerical investigations evidenced that these configurations are not able to reproduce the actual behavior and the effectiveness of the reinforcement. So a specific rig was designed to apply the horizontal load pattern.Solid brick masonry barrel vaults were considered (thickness 120 mm, arch span 4000 mm, arch rise/radius = 0.75). Three quasi-static cyclic tests were performed: the first concerned an unreinforced vault, the second a vault reinforced at the extrados through the application of a mortar coating reinforced with a GFRP mesh and the third reinforced at the intrados surface with the same technique. The experimental results demonstrated the technique effectiveness and the important increment of ductility of the vaults.