Cyclic behavior of masonry barrel vaults strengthened through Composite Reinforced Mortar, considering the role of the connection with the abutments

TL;DR

This study experimentally investigates how Composite Reinforced Mortar (CRM) enhances the seismic resilience of masonry barrel vaults, emphasizing the importance of vault-to-wall connections in improving strength, ductility, and crack control.

Contribution

It provides new experimental data on the cyclic behavior of CRM-strengthened masonry vaults, highlighting the critical role of connection details in seismic performance.

Findings

CRM significantly increases vault strength and displacement capacity.

Vault-to-wall connection prevents dangerous sliding and improves stability.

Dissipative capacity with mean damping of 0.13 enhances seismic resilience.

Abstract

The original results of experimental investigations concerning the reduction of the seismic vulnerability of masonry vaults through Composite Reinforced Mortar CRM are presented in the paper. The transversal performances of full scale, masonry barrel vault samples, i.e. running bond pattern vaults and brick in folio vaults, carrying their own weight and reinforced at the extrados or at the intrados are investigated through cyclic tests. The connection of the reinforced vaults with the masonry abutment is particularly considered and discussed, due to the importance of this detail to avoid uplift and slip at the skewback sections and better exploit the CRM benefits. The experimental behavior of the vault samples is described and analyzed in terms of global behavior, crack pattern and load displacement curves, also in comparison with the unreinforced configurations. The CRM allowed significant improvements in both vaults strength and displacement capacities, as contrasted the cracks opening and foster the spreading of cracks all along the vault. Considerable performances emerged also in terms of dissipative capacities, with a mean damping value of about 0.13 in the post cracking configuration. The vault-to-wall connection, based on embedded steel and composite bars, resulted essential for avoiding dangerous vault sliding at skewback sections, that may reduce the vault performances and also cause the fall from the support.