In-plane shear behaviour of adobe masonry wallets strengthened with textile reinforced mortar

Many people live in adobe masonry (AM) constructions in earthquake areas even if most of the existing constructions are not engineered, thus prone to seismic damage. Therefore, seismic retrofitting of existing AM structures is a critical issue. In this study, experimental results of diagonal compression tests on 21 adobe masonry wallets, before and after the installation of textile reinforced mortar (TRM) with either hemp or glass fibres, are presented. Hemp-TRM is found to be more effective than glass-TRM in improving the shear capacity of AM, showing a mean increase in shear strength and ductility of 25% and 260% in hemp-TRM-strengthened wallets and 12% and 100% in glass-TRM-strengthened wallets. The hemp textile allowed compatibility of the TRM to the masonry substrate, preventing premature debonding and local failure. Experimental results are compared to existing data on TRM systems made of vegetable fibres, evidencing a significant capacity enhancement through flax- and hemp-TRM systems.