Context-Sensitive Seismic Repair of Substandard Confined Masonry: Fid-Bau Portal

Context-Sensitive Seismic Repair of Substandard Confined Masonry

Ghorbani, R. / Matta, F.

In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, households were often reluctant to reoccupy their dwellings due to concerns about the safety of damaged structures. If feasible, structural repair (to complement to temporary sheltering) is a realistic option for rapid reoccupancy as reconstruction poses greater barriers of cost and time. Considering the economic and technological limitations found in developing regions, this paper addresses the question of whether it is feasible to repair a severely damaged substandard CM wall in a context-sensitive fashion, that is, using: (a) materials that are locally available and commonly used and often substandard (e.g., low-strength concrete and mortar); and (b) construction and installation practices that are familiar to local workers, without the need for additional training. Two full-scale CM wall specimens were subjected to cyclic quasi-static in-plane load test till failure, and re-tested after repair by means of reinforced plaster made of low-strength mortar and steel welded wire mesh. Three-dimensional digital image correlation was used to provide full-field strain maps to describe the load-resistance mechanisms and damage evolution. It is shown that the failed CM walls can be transformed into walls with acceptable strength and deformability. In addition, it is shown that only the repaired specimens qualify as earthquake-resistant structures based the acceptance criteria set forth in Mexico City Building Code for Masonry Structures (NTCM 2004). It is concluded that it is feasible to repair a highly-damaged substandard CM wall in a context-sensitive fashion and make it safe, comparable to a CM wall built with acceptable materials and details.