ABSTRACT
Stitching of cracked masonry elements with the reinforcement is a quite popular method of repairing damaged walls. Scientific publications often describe the effect of repair in the form of crack stitching on specimens tested under compression, bending or shearing. However, it is difficult to find a paper, whose authors made an attempt to estimate the impact of different types of reinforcement on strengthening issues. This paper presents results for tensile tests performed on different types of bars with a diameter of 6, mm, pull-out tests for twisted and ribbed bars in a masonry wall, and tests for flexural strength of mortar prismatic specimens reinforced with a stitching bar. Obtained results were the basis for an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of the interaction between the stitching reinforcement and the masonry wall. The tested reinforcement was composed of smooth bars made of common or stainless steel, ribbed bars, and twisted bars. The most effective reinforcement proved to be the twisted bar because it showed better deformability and adhesion to the mortar. Test results indicated that the anchorage length of stitching bars should be greater than 250 mm. In practice, anchor lengths of approximately 500 mm are used.
