Strengthening of Walls Produced From Aerated Concrete Material With Steel Fibered Concrete Panels: Experimental Study

Due to their insufficient lateral strength and rigidity under earthquake loads, the walls are vulnerable to damage in masonry buildings. various methods such as jacketing and adding of layers, etc. have been studied for many years in order to improve lateral resistance and strength of the masonry walls. these methods are effective, however, they require a long application period and the implementation of these methods may cause loss of architectural functionality and deteriorate structural aesthetics. therefore, the development of a new technique would be quite useful. in this study, masonry walls are strengthened with containing steel fibers, which are cheap, easy to produce and practical. this study presents the results of the tests on four walls built with aerated concrete (gb), three of which were strengthened symmetrically using by concrete panels with specified amount of steel fibers. the results of the experiments are discussed with regard to strength, deformation and energy dissipation capacity.