ABSTRACT
This chapter describes an experimental investigation carried out on Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) reinforcements comprising carbon fabrics and cement mortar matrices, as part of a Round Robin Test program organized by the Rilem TC 250-Composites for the Sustainable strengthening of Masonry. Direct tensile tests and shear bond tests were carried out to investigate the tensile and bond behaviour; the results are then combined to derive engineering design parameters. A number of retrofitting solutions are available to increase the safety and the resilience of existing structures to natural hazards, such as earthquakes, subsidence, and floods. Externally bonded reinforcements with composite materials have emerged as a particularly effective method, thanks to their high strength-to-weight ratio. Direct tensile tests were carried out on textile and FRCM specimens, to derive peak stress and Young's modulus of the fabrics, and the whole stress-strain response of the composites.
