Characterization tests of GFRM coating as a strengthening technique for masonry buildings

Fiber Reinforced Mortars (FRM) represents a promising technique for the in-plane and out-of-plane reinforcement of existing masonry buildings, coupling effectiveness with compatibility needs. The paper focuses on a technique consisting in the application on the masonry surface of a 30 mm thick mortar coating with Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (GFRP) meshes embedded, presenting and discussing the results of several characterization tests (pull-out, lap-splice, bond and tensile tests) performed so to investigate on the tensile properties and bond performances of the strengthening system, useful for correct design procedures and suitable also for numerical modeling.The main aspects that has to be taken into account in the design of characterization tests are evidenced and the influence of some fundamental parameters (as the clamping system, the anchorage length, the boundary conditions and the sample dimensions) is discussed. Moreover, proper characterization tests permitted the estimation of the anchorage length to make effective the reinforcement and the definition of the stress-strain curve of the reinforced material subjected to tensile force.