Finite Element Analysis of Masonry Buildings Retrofitted with Different Materials under Lateral Loading

This study investigates the lateral cyclic behavior and failure patterns of a three-dimensional confined masonry building. The building is retrofitted with different layers of polyester mortar, GFRP, and ferrocement as retrofitting upgrading materials. To study how the perforation affects a building's structural performance, the building was constructed with two solid walls in the sides, a wall with door opening in front elevation, and a wall with window opening in back elevation. The finite element model was developed using the software (ANSYS). A control model was created as a reference for the other retrofitted models in order to validate the effect of the retrofitting technique on the structural performance of the building while using different retrofitting materials. The models are compared to each other in terms of lateral load capacity, lateral top movement, crack patterns, stiffness, energy dissipation, and hysteresis damping. The results showed that ferrocement has the best effect in improving lateral resistance of the building and increasing the stiffness and damping while the lateral displacement showed no improvement compared to the control model. The GFRP retrofitted model also showed good improvement in the capacity of the building with no improvement in the lateral displacement. The polyester retrofitted model showed a little improvement for the capacity of the building compared to other retrofitting materials.