Numerical analysis of bond behavior between masonry bricks and composite materials

Fiber Reinforced Polymers have become a popular material for external strengthening of masonry structures. The performance of this strengthening technique is strongly dependent on the bond between FRP and substrate. This paper presents numerical modeling of the bond behavior in FRP-strengthened masonry components using interface elements, based on a recent testing program at the University of Minho. A trilinear bond–slip model is proposed for the interface elements based on observed experimental behavior of strengthened components. The comparison between numerical and experimental results shows that the proposed model is suitable for numerical simulation of the bond behavior and allows a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the failure process.

► A review of shear bond tests performed on FRP strengthened bricks is presented.
► The experimental results are simulated numerically by using interface elements.
► A tri-linear bond–slip model is proposed for FRP–masonry systems.
► Comparison is made between the proposed bond–slip model and available guidelines.