Shear Strength Evaluation of Masonry Walls with Fiber Reinforced Polymer
Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) is a composite material used to offer additional strength to buildings located in regions prone to seismic activity. This research evaluates the accuracy of theoretical shear strength evaluation methods for FRP utilized in structural applications. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recorded shear load capacities for 34 masonry walls with various arrangements of FRP reinforcement. Proposed design standards issued by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) were employed to calculate shear strength provided by the addition of FRP. Results of both analyses were compared to determine there was indeed a significant degree of variation between predicted shear load capacities and actual experimental results. It was also established that although ACI standards are not always completely accurate, they generally provide safe and conservative values. By comparing actual and predicted load capacities, coefficients were determined by considering factors such as debonding, fiber orientation, and number of FRP plies. This study offers 3 modifications to the ACI design equations which proved successful when utilized to evaluate USACE test specimens.
School:
North Carolina A&T State University
Department:
Architectural Engineering
Research Advisor:
Steven Sweeney
Department of Research Advisor:
US Army Corps of Engineers
Year of Publication:
2007