Strengthening of historic masonry vaults with CFRP prepreg

Abstract

Masonry vaults, frequently used in historic buildings to create large openings, have played a critical role in the survival of these buildings to the present day. These structural elements, which have been exposed to destructive effects such as earthquakes for centuries, need strengthening activities in order to transfer cultural heritage to future generations. The use of composite materials with high mechanical properties for strengthening purposes has been a popular method since the beginning of the 21st century, and its effectiveness has been proven. In this study, a masonry vault in the historical redoubts located in Erzurum, Türkiye, was modelled, and the effectiveness of various strengthening scenarios using prepreg composites was investigated. Numerical simulations were conducted with the Finite element method-based macro modelling approach. The investigation revealed that retrofitting arrangements maintained the stress distribution in masonry vaults while reducing maximum tensile stress; intrados reinforcement proved more effective, particularly the intrados-straight retrofit, with a 24% improvement, whereas extrados strengthening showed limited effectiveness.