ABSTRACT
Unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings are one of the most common forms of construction. Earthquakes in Australia and overseas have highlighted the weakness of URM walls under out-of-plane loading. Earthquakes are a high risk event particularly in populated areas with a corresponding high infrastructure density. Accordingly, the damage associated with an earthquake would most likely be associated with the URM buildings. Many Australian URM buildings have heritage value, and in majority of cases their construction predates modern seismic loading standards that were introduced in 1995. In order to preserve cities, historical structures, and prevent potential loss of life, there is therefore a need to protect URM buildings against earthquake loading. Australia experiences some extreme environmental conditions, including thermal cycles of over 40°C and over 50°C in some rural areas. Hence, quantifying the performance of Fibre Reinforced Polymers under the temperature ranges is key to ensuring satisfactory behavior of the retrofit technique.
