Enhancement of Axial Capacity of Brick Masonry Column by Reinforced Concrete Jacketing

Abstract

Masonry plays a vital role in construction, serving as either load-bearing or infill material in reinforced concrete or steel-framed buildings. In Bangladesh, brick masonry units are commonly used as load-bearing components, especially in rural areas. While capable of withstanding axial loads, brick masonry is not as strong when it comes to resisting lateral loads. With population density on the rise, there has been a trend of using agricultural lands for new building construction, which could be mitigated by vertically extending existing buildings. In this scenario, the capacity of the masonry columns must be increased. To achieve this, various methods can be employed, such as reinforcing the masonry wall using techniques like reinforced concrete (RC) jacketing. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of reinforced concrete (RC) jacketing in enhancing the axial compressive strength and ductility of brick columns. The study involved several types of specimens of similar sizes (114 × 114 mm2 before strengthening and 240 × 240 mm2 after strengthening) and four different types of bricks, with RC jacketing used for strengthening. The jacketing utilized 0.70% longitudinal reinforcement, and the specimens have been tested under monotonic loading. The study's results revealed that the axial capacity of masonry columns have been enhanced by approximately 150% with RC jacketing. Additionally, the average ductility enhancement has been found to be 38%. These findings indicate the effectiveness of RC jacketing in enhancing the load-carrying capacity and ability to resist deformation.