FINITE ELEMENT MODELLING OF FRP-REINFORCED MASONRY WALLS UNDER IN-PLANE LOADINGS

In an attempt to capture the features of the masonry walls before and after reinforcement, the finite element meso-scale models of the FRP-reinforced masonry walls with flemish bond are constructed using zero-thickness cohesive elements in ABAQUS. The responses of the finite element models are validated with the experimental results of the cyclic tests and the analytical results of the relative codes for monotonic cases. The results show that the finite element models are capable of simulating the seismic performance of the FRP-reinforced masonry walls accurately, analyzing the effect of FRP reinforcement and calculating the shear bearing capacity of the unreinforced and FRP-reinforced masonry walls under monotonic loadings.