Date of Award
2010
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Engineering Science
Program
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Supervisor
Dr. M. Hesham El Naggar
Second Advisor
Dr. Maged A. Youssef
Abstract
Unreinforced masonry (URM) constitutes a prevalent part of the modem building inventory and represents a major seismic risk. This study investigates the use of expanding polyurethane foam as a new technique to retrofit URM construction. Experimental tests of masonry assemblages have shown an increase in the shear capacity of up to five times and that the polymer core reduces tensile forces within the face shells under compression. Cyclic in-plane tests have shown that the load capacity of retrofitted wall panels are up to 2.5 times the strength of URM specimens and have demonstrated the potential for increased energy dissipation. An analytical macro-model is developed, which is capable of simulating the in-plane response of both URM and polymer retrofitted walls. The developed model is used to analyze the response of walls subjected to simulated earthquake records and showed benefits in reducing lateral deflection and increasing ultimate lateral capacity.
Recommended Citation
Ing, Christopher Tyler George, "Application of Expanding Polyurethane Foam for Upgrading the Seismic Resistance of Unreinforced Masonry Structures" (2010). Digitized Theses. 3702.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/3702