In-plane numerical modelling of sterngthened perforated masonry walls using frp under cyclic loading

A large inventory of older masonry buildings exists in earthquake-prone regions. The majority of these buildings were built before any provisions for earthquake loading were established. Several seismic retrofitting techniques for masonry structures have been developed and practiced and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) material has been increasingly used owing to its high strength/stiffness to mass ratio and easy application. This paper presents a finite element modeling approach, developed with commercial software, for the analysis of the behaviour of unreinforced and FRP strengthened perforated brick shear walls when they are subjected to a combination of vertical compression preload and in-plane cyclic shear loading. The numerical simulations are compared with experimental data and the accuracy of the proposed finite element model is validated. Finally, effects of different strengthening configurations with FRP on the in-plane cyclic performance of brick walls with openings (e.g. door, window) having different aspect ratios and positions are examined.