Seismic behavior of infill and nonstructural masonry walls strengthened with textile reinforced mortar

This study presents the results of cyclic tests conducted to evaluate the effects of textile reinforced mortar (TRM) on the behavior of infill and nonstructural masonry walls. The tests involved a combination of cyclic in-plane and out-of-plane loading to simulate conditions experienced during seismic events. Leca light cement blocks were used to construct all specimens. Two groups of walls-infill and non-structural-were assessed separately, with their cyclic behaviors, backbone curves, crack patterns, and failure modes compared. Glass fabric connectors were introduced to improve TRM performance by enhancing the bond between TRM and masonry wall. The findings indicate that reinforcing nonstructural walls just with angles is insufficient, as these walls failed under combined in-plane and out-of-plane forces. TRM strengthening, however, was effective in improving the cyclic behavior of the walls, increasing both in-plane and out-of-plane capacity and stiffness. The use of glass fabric connectors enhanced the in-plane lateral capacity and corresponding drift ratio by approximately 53 % and 36%, respectively, due to improved confinement and the connection between the TRM layers and masonry. These results underscore the potential of TRM with glass connectors as an effective strategy for enhancing the seismic performance of masonry walls. In addition, the results showed that non-structural walls do not affect the in-plane stiffness of the structure until a drift ratio of one percent, which is the separation amount between the wall and the structure. Comparison the results with codes reapproved that in-plane and out-of-plane capacities have interactional relationship.