Interfacial bond behavior of steel-FRCM composites applied to a masonry substrate

In the last decades the theme of structural rehabilitation has acquired great importance and the adoption of composite materials in civil engineering applications has been a turning point in this field. The cement-based matrix of FRCM composites presents many advantages for their application to historical buildings. This dissertation presents a study of the influence of composite bonded length and width on the load response and failure mode. Two types of mortar matrix and two different steel densities were employed. The classical push pull configuration is adopted where fibers are pulled while the masonry block is restrained. Based on the experimental results and through a fracture mechanics approach, the cohesive material laws for mode II was obtained. For the completeness of the work, the characterization of each material involved in the single-lap shear test has been achieved.