Structural Repointing of Masonry Structures

Existing masonry structures are often in need of strengthening due to the limited masonry tensile strength and consequent occurrence of cracks, which can lead to collapse of the structure. To control the cracking phenomena and increase the load associated with a certain collapse mechanism, structural repointing by means of reinforcing bars inserted in the mortar bed joints can be employed. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars have been used for repointing due to their high tensile strength and good resistance to corrosion. Although structural repointing is a well-known and diffused strengthening technique, limited research is available in the literature and reliable analytical models to compute the structural capacity of repointed members are missing. In this paper, experimental results of masonry members strengthened with structural repointing found in the literature are analyzed and discussed to provide indications on the contribution of repointing in the masonry strength and identify mechanical models able to predict the failure load of repointed masonry members.