The Finite Element Analysis Of Experimental Results Of And Research To Shear Capacities Of CFRP Strengthened Masonry

Lots of native masonry structures and various international valuable buildings need to be retrofitted and strengthened for their long existence, rise of seismic requirements and safety standard. Being used to strengthen masonry structures, especially ancient buildings, Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) has key virtues other strengthening methods have not, for its low weight, high strengths, easy to handle, rot proof, wear proof, endurance, good applicability, no appearance change of strengthened structures, etc. At present, researches to FRP strengthening masonry have just started, and are lack of experimental data, design theories and all kinds of necessary codes and norms to guide and promote its applications in projects. So the researches to this respect are of great importance.Further researches have been done to the experimental results of CFRP strengthening of masonry. The experiments, shear capacity calculation and finite element analysis have been done of several types of masonry structures, which are listed bellow.1 The performances have been observed of sixteen strengthened or comparing brick walls under low period reciprocating horizontal loadings. The loading and deforming have been compared between strengthened members and their comparing members. The effectiveness has also been compared among different strengthening schemes. The experiments show that masonry wall mechanic performances such as cracking loadings, ultimate loadings, ductibility, and seismic dissipative capacity are all obviously improved after being strengthened with CFRP sheets; and that bonding CFRP on bottom ends of local damageable brick walls can prevent the walls from flexural failures and therefore the walls can be made good use of their shear capacities.2 CFRP strengthening effectiveness of solid masonry walls with and without structural concrete columns, and of masonry walls with eccentric door opening and structural concrete columns, is studied with the finite element method after the experiments. The effects are investigated of several factors such as different height-width ratio, various joint couplings on finite element analyses using homogenized element models and models with contact elements. The applications are explored of special shell elements, concrete elements, face-face flexible contact elements, especially laminate shell elements, spring elements etc to masonry CFRP strengthening.3 The shear capacity calculations are done of CFRP strengthened brick walls without holes, walls with windows or doors holes, and concrete small hollow block walls with windows holes, based on the experiments. The formulas used in the calculations, which can be used in practical projects, are modified with the factorη_cf and their results are similar to those of the current Code for Design of Masonry Structures. Finally, the unsettled issues have been put forward according to this research.