Untersuchungen zur Verbesserung der mechanischen Eigenschaften von Mauerwerk durch Elastomerlager

Masonry mechanical properties improvement by means of elastomeric material.

As earthquake strikes, the brittle failure of living space may cause considerable economic and health problems. Unreinforced masonry which classified as a building material has a limited earthquake resistance, because it does not possess tensile and tension forces like reinforced concrete and steel. Hence, in the case of earthquake, a variety of methods were conducted in order to minimize problems by improving the load bearing capacity of masonry.
Modern masonry can be produced as reinforced or constrained one, wherein its resistance significantly increases because its tensile stresses and forces are carried by the reinforcement. The load bearing capacity of masonry as well as its connection to adjacent components can be improved by constraining masonry with reinforced concrete elements. In addition, the application of high-strength textile or lamella are other possibilities.
In this project, a different approach is carried out. Soft bed-joints lead to reduce stress-peaks in units and generate higher ductility in masonry. Therefore, a development in the masonry structure by using a novel design of masonry bed-joints, namely, elastomeric materials combined with epoxy glue; is better than conventional thin mortar.