Strengthening the structural behavior of adobe walls through the use of plaster reinforcement mesh

This study presents an experimental investigation on the use of additives and plaster mesh in adobe wall panels. Three different groups of adobe soil mixture are considered for forming adobe blocks in wall panels with and without mesh placement along horizontal mortar joints. The groups consist of plain adobe blocks, blocks with 1% straw and 10% fly ash. Wall panels are loaded under diagonal compressive axial load in order to evaluate their ultimate load capacities, deformability, and energy absorption characteristics. According to the results obtained from tests, the combined use of plaster mesh with additives enhances the structural behavior significantly.

Research highlights► Additives improve energy absorption and ultimate load capacities of adobe blocks. ► Plaster mesh provides increased friction along horizontal mortar joints. ► Structural behavior of adobe wall panels increase significantly by plaster mesh use.