Sustainable technology for masonry retrofit

Abstract

The building system in Structural Building is currently extensively used for the construction of residential and commercial buildings as well as warehouses, shopping centers, fireproof walls, retaining walls, among others. In the case of buildings, most of them are designed with non-reinforced masonry, with the need of some type of reinforcement in some cases. Recently, cases of unusual high lateral load demand in Brazilian constructions were perceived, whether by seismic activity or strong winds. The occurrence of these phenomena, or the use of poor quality materials, may lead to the need for retrofit and restrengthening in existing structures. Currently repairs and reinforcements on masonry structures consist of techniques with high costs, very difficult to implement and unsustainable. This work, to be held at the University of Calgary (UofC), in partnership with the University of British Columbia (UBC), proposes the use of a cementitious composite called EDCC (Eco-Friendly Ductile Cementitious Composites), developed by UBC, for masonry structures strengthening and rehabilitation. It aims the analyzes of an experimental program being carried out at UofC the side action and, from these, to evaluated the possibility of using this technology in real reinforcements applicable in Canada and Brazil. Also, several new tests are proposed, during this project and at UofC, to assess the possibility of using the EDCC for reinforcement in modern masonry often necessary to Brazilian buildings. (AU)