Abstract:
The tremendous loss of life that resulted in the aftermath of recent earthquakes in
developing countries is mostly due to the collapse of non-engineered building structures.
It has been observed that these buildings cannot withstand the lateral loads
imposed by an earthquake and often fails, in a brittle manner. This underscores the
urgency to find simple and economic solutions to reinforce these buildings. Different
conventional retrofitting techniques are available to increase the strength and/or ductility
of unreinforced masonry walls. Recent years, several researches work on mesh
type retrofitting for masonry structures to delay or prevent the collapse of buildings
and reduce the number of lives lost during devastating earthquake events. This paper
reviews and discusses the state-of-the-art on seismic retrofitting of masonry walls
with emphasis on the mesh type retrofitting techniques include retrofitting
procedures, cost, improvement in structural performance and limitations.
