NAUKA SCIENCE

’ukasz Hojdys1, Piotr Krajewski2

Experimental tests on strengthened

and unstrengthened masonry vault with backÞll
Badania doĂwiadczalne wzmocnionego
ibniewzmocnionego sklepienia zbzasypkÈ

Keywords: Strengthening, Vault, Arch, Masonry, BackÞll, Sïowa kluczowe: wzmacnianie, sklepienia, ïuki,
Composite Materials, FRG konstrukcje murowe, zasypka, materiaïy kompozytowe,
tynki zbrojone

of the strengthening system it was tested again. Tests results

1. INTRODUCTION were compared in order to check the effectiveness of applied
The one of the effects of the progress of civilization and strengthening system in the case of buried vaults.
society lifestyle changes is need for adaptation of existing build-
ings to a new function. Period houses in the market squares
2. CHARACTERIZATION OF TESTED
are converted into shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, pubs
etc. Due to this conversion new loads for buildings must be
ELEMENTS
considered and usually there is a need for strengthening of The tested elements consisted of: unstrengthened or
structural elements e.g. vaults [1, 2]. strengthened masonry vault supported by reinforced concrete
Nowadays externally-bonded composites are often used abutments, Þll material above the vault, end and side walls sur-
for vaults strengthening. Research performed in recent years rounding backÞll material (Fig.b1, Fig.b2). The vault was built
indicated that Þber reinforced polymer systems [3-6] and of clay bricks and lime mortar. Thickness, internal span and rise
systems that use cement-based matrices [7-9] are effective of the vault were 125 mm, 2000 mm and 730 mm respectively
strengthening solutions for vaults. Most of these tests were (Fig.b1). The width of the specimen was 1040bmm.
performed on arches or vaults without backÞll. In historic
buildings buried vaults are common and it is obvious that
vaults are not isolate structural elements but they interact with
Þll. Previous tests carried out on unstrengthened arches with
Þll material indicated that the presence of Þll material and its
properties strongly inßuence the behavior and load-carrying
capacity of vault-soil system [10-13]. Most of these tests were
performed on masonry arch bridge models but according to
tests presented in [14] similar conclusions can be drawn in
case of vaults in historic buildings.
Taking into consideration the facts mentioned above,
the question arises whether strengthening systems based on
composite materials are an appropriate solution for the vaults
with backÞll or not. The research presented in this paper
was performed in order to observe collapse mechanism and
Fig. 1. Geometry of the vault, dimensions in mm. Arrangement of displace-
determine load-carrying capacity of buried vault with and ment transducers, brick courses numbering
without strengthening. The masonry vault with light ex-
panded clay aggregate backÞll was tested twice. The element The end walls were made of reinforced concrete whereas
without strengthening was tested Þrst and after application side walls were made of OSB or Plexiglas board stiffened with

1
Ph.D., Cracow University of Technology, Cracow, Poland, [email protected]
2
Ph.D., Cracow University of Technology, Cracow, Poland, [email protected]

Praca dopuszczona do druku po recenzjach Article accepted for publishing after reviews

WiadomoĞci Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 32/2012 105

 a) b) c)
Fig. 3. Glass grid tensile tests: a) Mapegrid G220 glass grid – detail;
b) “type I” glass grid specimen test, c) load-strain diagrams for “type I”
Þber glass strands

3. TEST RESULTS
3.1. Unstrengthened vault – S11KM
The unstrengthened vault was the Þrst tested element.
During the test apart from measuring loads and displacements
development of cracks were observed. The Þrst crack appeared
Fig. 2. General arrangement of tested vault – specimen S11KM during
the test procedure at a load of 7.7bkN between brick courses 13B and 14B. These
brick courses were situated beneath loading point. The num-
steel elements. The side walls were not structural elements bering of brick courses is given in Fig.b1. Next crack appeared
so between walls and vault about 15 mm wide gaps were left. between brick courses 12A and 13A at a load of 10.0bkN. At
In both tests light expanded clay aggregate was used as the a load equal to 14.5 kN another crack became visible. It was
Þll material. The particle size ranged from 10 to 20 mm and situated between brick courses 13A and 14A. Next two cracks
bulk density was about 300 kg/m3. The Þll material was placed appeared at the extrados of the arch at a load of 16.7bkN. The
and compacted in 200 mm thick layers. The total depth of the Þrst one was situated between brick courses 15A and 16A
Þll at the crown was equal to 200 mm. The vault in the second and the second one between brick courses 16A and 17A. At
test was externally strengthened with alkali-resistant glass grid a load of 19.3bkN a new crack appeared at the intrados of the
(MepegridbG220) embedded in cement-based matrix (Planitop vault between brick courses 3A and 4A. Another two cracks
HDM). Strengthening system was supplied by MAPEI Polska became visible at a load of 21.5bkN. The Þrst one appeared
Sp.b zb o.o. The grid is consisted of longitudinal (type I) and between brick courses 3B and 4B and the second one between
transversal (type II) Þber glass strands connected perpendicularly brick courses 4B and 5B. At a load of 24.1bkN new cracks at
at about 25bmm spacing (Fig.b3a). In the research both compo- the intrados of the vault were observed. They were situated
nents of strengthening system were tested – type I and type II between brick courses 4A and 5A and 5A and 6A. Finally at
strands of glass grid (according to PN-EN ISOb527-1) and grout a load of 24.7bkN the tested element turned into four hinge
specimens (according to PN-EN 12190). Selected mechanical collapse mechanism. The hinges P1, P2, P3 and P4 developed
properties of the matrix and glass Þbers are presented in Table 1. between brick courses number 13B and 14B, 15A and 16A,
6A and 7A, 4B and 5B respectively. The collapse mechanism
Table 1. Selected mechanical properties of strengthening system com- is presented in Fig.b7a and photos of each hinge are given in
ponents

Flexural Compressive Maximum

strength strength tensile load*
Material MV
MV MV
(N/ CV CV CV
(N/mm2) (N)
mm2)
Planitop HDM
10.5 19% 25.0 11% – –
after 14 ±1 days

Planitop HDM
12.5 14% 31.8 12% – –
after 28 ±1 days
Mapegrid G220 a) b)
“type I” Þber glass – – – – 1102 8%
strand
* from “type I” specimens tests (see Fig. 3b-c)
MV – mean value
CV – coefÞcient of variation

Tested elements were loaded at a quarter span. The load

was applied to the top of the Þll material and was increasing
continuously until failure. During the tests load, radial dis-
placements of vault and vertical displacements of upper surface c) d)
of the Þll were measured and recorded. The arrangement of
Fig. 4. Hinges of collapse mechanism for element S11KM (see Fig. 7a):
the load cell and displacement transducers is given in Fig.b1. a) hinge P1, b) hinge P2, c) hinge P3, d) hinge P4

106 WiadomoĞci Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 32/2012

Fig.b4. Mean displacements which were recorded at a failure
4. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
load were given in Tableb2. These displacement were calculated
AND CONCLUSIONS
as an arithmetic mean of two recorded displacements from
the transducers situated in the same cross-section of the vault. According to test results presented above the load-carrying
capacity of vault with strengthening was almost three times
Table 2. Displacements of element S11KM at failure load
greater than for unstrengthened one. Precisely it was equal
Measuring point 01-02 03-04 05-06 07-08 09-10 11-12 13-14 15-16 24.69bkN and 70.95bkN for specimens S11KM and S11W re-
Mean spectively. The unstrengthened vault failed due to formation of
displacement -0.74 -6.75 7.33 10.16 0.54 -9.22 11.87 11.68 classical four-hinge mechanism [15]. For the specimen S11W
(mm)
the failure was characterized by a shear sliding which occurred
underneath the loading point along bed joint (Fig.b6c). The
3.2. Strengthened vault – S11W strengthening prevented joint opening at the extrados (except
After Þrst test the vault without strengthening (S11KM) was joints at abutments) and prevented failure due to four-hinge
prevented from collapse. The backÞll was removed and the ini- mechanism formation.
tial geometry of arch was restored. Then the strengthening was
applied at the vault extrados. Alkali-resistant glass grid Mapegrid
G220 was embedded in grout Planitop HDM (Fig.b5). The total
average thickness of composite strengthening was about 7bmm.
Strengthened element was cured for 14 days and then end and
side walls were mounted and Þll material was placed on the
arch. Next displacement transducers and load cell were set in
a)
the analogical arrangement as during the Þrst test.

b)
Fig. 7. a) Specimen S11KM – failure mechanism developed; b) Specimen
S11W – failure mode observed

The comparison of the load displacement curves for consid-

ered vaults is shown in Fig.b8. The presence of the strengthening
changed behavior of the buried vault not only in terms of a fail-
ure mechanism and load capacity but also in terms of ductility.
Fig. 5. Specimen S11W (strengthened vault) Despite the fact that test of specimen S11W was interrupted just
During the second test cracks in joints (mainly at the brick- after reaching the maximum load, large deformation capacity of
mortar interface) and in strengthening layer (mainly above the strengthened vault prior to the failure is noticeable.
joints) were observed. The Þrst cracks appeared on intrados According to reports presented in the literature (i.e. [3]
between brick courses 13B and 14B (Fig.b6a) and above sup- [6]) strengthening at the extrados of isolated masonry vaulted
port “A” at a load of 11 kN and 27 kN respectively. At a load of structures using composite systems is effective. Based on re-
41bkN cracks on the vault’s extrados were observed. They were search results presented in this paper, glass grid embedded in
situated near the brick courses number 13A and 18 (Fig.b6b). cement-base matrix could be used as an efÞcient strengthening
At a load of 55bkN a sliding between brick courses 13B and solution for buried vault.
14B occurred. In abÞnal stage of the test additional cracks were It is worth mentioning that applying strengthening at the
observed. They appeared above reinforced concrete supports extrados of buried vault is favorable in thebÞre situation especially
“A” and “B”. At a load of 79.95b kN signiÞcant increase of in case of FRP and TRM systems. Fill material placed above
displacements at the loading point were observed and then
the load started to decrease. The failure of the element S11W
was due to sliding between brick courses 13B and 14B at the
brick-joint interface (Fig.b6c).

a) b) c)
Fig. 6. Failure mechanisms of specimen S11W: a) Þrst crack observed
between 13B and 14B brick courses; b) cracks at extrados in strengthening
layer observed after backÞll removal; c) sliding along a mortar joint beneath Fig. 8. Radial load-displacement diagrams for tested vault (S11KM – before
the load application point. strengthening; S11W strengthened specimen)

WiadomoĞci Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 32/2012 107

strengthening make additional thermal insulation. This is crucial ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
when mechanical resistance (R) in the case of Þre is required.
In many cases strengthening solutions based on composite Materials of strengthening system were supplied free of
materials could be more effective than traditional strengthening charge by Mapei Polska Sp. z o.o. The work was developed
methods. Application of glass grids embedded in a cement-base at Cracow University of Technology, Poland. The authors
grout allows to provide adequate load-carrying capacity of vault, gratefully acknowledge Prof. Z. Janowski for his support and
reducing application costs and ensuring esthetic appearance. guidance throughout this work.

REFERENCES

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Abstract Streszczenie
This paper presents the results of two experimental tests Wb artykule przedstawiono wyniki badañ eksperymen-
on masonry barrel vault with Þll material. The vault was talnych sklepieñ zbpachami wypeïnionymi materiaïem zasy-
built of clay bricks and lime mortar. Thickness, internal span powym. Elementy murowano zbceramicznej cegïy peïnej na
and rise of the vaults were 125 mm, 2000 mm and 730 mm zaprawie wapiennej abzasypkÚ wykonano zbkeramzytu. Badania
respectively. Light expanded clay aggregate was used as a Þll przeprowadzono na pasmach sklepieñ walcowych rozpiÚtoĂci
material. The Þll depth at the crown was 200bmm. The Þrst wb Ăwietle podpór wynoszÈcej 2000b mm, gruboĂci 125b mm
test was performed on unstrengthened vault. In this case the ibstrzaïce 730bmm. Sklepienia obciÈĝano wb1/4 rozpiÚtoĂci aĝ
main aims were to determine load-carrying capacity and ex- zniszczenia rejestrujÈc deformacje ib poziom siïy niszczÈcej.
amine the collapse mechanism of vault with backÞll. In order Wbpierwszym badaniu testowano sklepienie bez wzmocnie-
to perform the second test the arch used in the Þrst test was nia wyznaczajÈc jego noĂnoĂÊ oraz identyÞkujÈc mechanizm
strengthened externally and tested again. The aims of this zniszczenia. Po badaniu sklepienie wzmocniono powierzch-
test was to determine load-carrying capacity and examine the niowo siatkÈ zbwïókien szklanych ibponownie poddano testom.
general behavior of strengthened barrel vaults with Þll mate- Celem badania byïo wyznaczenie obciÈĝenia niszczÈcego oraz
rial. Results of both tests were compared. The presence of poznanie pracy sklepienia wzmocnionego zb zasypkÈ. Skle-
strengthening inßuenced on load-carrying capacity and ductil- pienie wzmocnione charakteryzowaïo siÚ wiÚkszÈ noĂnoĂciÈ
ity of the vault. The strengthened element had higher failure ibwiÚkszÈ zdolnoĂciÈ do deformacji pod obciÈĝeniem niĝ przed
load and was more ductile then vault without strengthening. wzmocnieniem.

108 WiadomoĞci Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 32/2012