Effect of Strengthening Location on Seismic Performance of Masonry Domes Retrofitted with Composite Material

TL;DR

This study evaluates how applying carbon fiber-reinforced polymer to different parts of masonry domes affects their earthquake resistance.

Contribution

The novelty lies in comparing the effectiveness of CFRP reinforcement applied to specific regions of historical masonry domes.

Findings

CFRP reinforcement applied only to the drum region provides the highest bearing capacity.

Experimental results were validated using finite element software LUSAS V19.0.

Strengthening the drum region is the most effective for improving structural performance during earthquakes.

Abstract

In this study, the effectiveness of a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) system applied to different regions for the strengthening of historical masonry domes was investigated, and the effects of the CFRP material on the structural performance of different regions were evaluated. One model served as the reference and did not include any reinforcement. In the other three models, reinforcement was applied by wrapping the CFRP around only the skirt region (EPS), only the drum region (EPD), and both the skirt and drum regions (EPSD). The effects of these reinforcement methods on the structural performance were analyzed through experimental tests simulating earthquake effects applied to the dome body wall region. The experimental findings were compared with numerical modeling results obtained using LUSAS V19.0 finite element software, and the overall effectiveness of the reinforcement methods was evaluated holistically. The results show that applying CFRP reinforcement only to the drum (rim) region provides the highest bearing capacity and is the most effective solution in terms of structural performance.

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