Strengthening of unreinforced masonry walls using ECC for impact/blast resistance

Abstract

This paper presents the results of quasi-static and low-velocity projectile impact tests on unreinforced masonry (URM) walls retrofitted with a cementitious-based material known as Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC). A total of 18 masonry wall panels were tested to assess the extent to which ECC can enhance the impact/blast resistance of the strengthened masonry walls by subjecting these series of panels to three types of load patterns namely patch load, uniformly-distributed load and impact load. Test results reported in this paper demonstrate the efficiency of the ECC-strengthening system in improving the ductility of URM walls, increasing their ultimate load-carrying capacity, enhancing their resistance against multiple low-velocity impacts and preventing sudden and therefore catastrophic failure. © 2007 Taylor & Francis Group.