Experimental study of a sustainable bed joint reinforcement for masonry

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental program aimed at assessing the out-of-plane bending behaviour of brick masonry walls reinforced with a novel reinforcement system, consisting of high-strength steel cord mesh held together by an interwoven fiberglass roving. This experimental study evaluates a modern alternative to traditional ladder or truss-type bed-joint steel reinforcements. The investigated system offers significant environmental and logistical advantages. Supplied in lightweight 30-meter rolls, it reduces material waste by minimizing overlaps up to tenfold, lowers transport-related carbon emissions due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, and improves site safety through simplified, grinder-free installation. The experimental research involved execution of out-of-plane bending tests on eleven single-leaf masonry walls following the EN 1052-2 standard. The study compared unreinforced control specimens against reinforced masonry walls with varying joint spacings of 0.60 m and 0.40 m. Advanced 3D Digital Image Correlation was employed to monitor crack propagation and full-field deformation. Results indicate that the reinforcement transforms the brittle URM response into a ductile mechanism. The peak load capacity increased by 24% for walls with 0.60 m spacing and 61% for those with 0.40 m spacing. Furthermore, the overstrength ratio reached 1.90 and ductility factors rose to 13.05 in the most reinforced specimens. The mesh configuration promoted a diffuse cracking pattern, enhancing energy dissipation. The outcomes demonstrate that sustainable bed joint reinforcement provides a high-performance, sustainable solution for masonry strengthening, bridging the gap between innovative material efficiency and structural resilience.