Experimental evaluation of the lateral strength of masonry infilled reinforced concrete frame retrofitted with ferrocement

Abstract

An experimental study has been performed to investigate the in-plane strength of masonry infilled reinforced concrete frame retrofitted with ferrocement. A half scale masonry infill panel was constructed and tested in the laboratory for this purpose. The load was applied monotonically at the top of the frame till the ultimate capacity was reached accompanied by substantial formation and propagation of cracks. Then both the infill and the frame was repaired by ferrocement coating. After rehabilitation, the frame was tested in the laboratory following the same procedure as for the original frame. The masonry infill frame retrofitted with ferrocement showed significant improvement in performance and more than original strength was achieved. This reveals the potential use of ferrocement as a retrofitting material of existing infilled frame.