An Investigation of Performance of Masonry Wall Reinforced with Timber lumbers

The current article seeks to investigate the behavior of masonry wall reinforced with timber lumbers and effect of timbers on increasing the shear strength and ductility of wall. To determine the mechanical properties of the timbers, two experiments according to ASTM D143 were performed. All of the mechanical properties required for timber simulation were determined via tensile and compressive tests, and using parametric equations. The behavior of the timbers under tensile force was brittle, and under pressure was semi-ductile. Hill yield criterion was utilized for timber behavior modelling. Predictably, the location of the plastic strain formation in the tensile and compressive specimen was consistent with the location of the fracture in the experimental specimens. In the next parts of the research, the obtained parameters were used to model the mechanical behavior of the timbers. Macro and meso approaches were used for the numerical modeling of the masonry wall. The Willam–Warnke yield criterion was used on the macro scale, and the cohesive-frictional interface constitutive model was utilized on the meso scale. Both numerical models were in good agreement with the laboratory results. However, due to the gap and sliding of the masonry wall in the numerical model, the Meso scale was used in the research. The masonry wall was retrofitted and strengthened by three different patterns of timber placement. An examination of the analysis results showed that by placing the timbers, the wall cracking pattern tends to change, and the ductility and shear capacity of the wall considerably enhances.