Investigation on the bond behavior of clay bricks reinforced with SRP and SRG strengthening systems

The present paper deals with an investigation of the mechanical response of steel reinforced polymers (SRP) and steel reinforced grout (SRG) as strengthening systems for existing constructions. SRP together with SRG represent a new family of composite materials recently introduced for improving the structural performances of existing concrete and masonry constructions. Indeed, the numerous advantages of SRP and SRG strengthening systems, such as their reduced costs and the low flammable properties of strips and, in the case of SRGs, of the matrix, make them particularly competitive in comparison to the more traditional fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) systems. Despite the studies available in literature specifically related to SRP and SRG systems are few, they underline differences with respect to FRPs, particularly in terms of the de-cohesion mechanism and the bond performances. Aim of the present paper is to investigate the role of the type of adhesive on the bond mechanism of steel reinforcements externally applied on clay bricks. Simple formulas devoted to predict the bond resistance of such systems are also proposed and their reliability is assessed through experimental results provided, partly, by the existing literature and, in part, by some experimental tests performed in the present research.