Seismic Reinforcement of Earthen Constructions

Abstract eng:
It is known that unreinforced earthen buildings are highly vulnerable to seismic activity and thus millions of people living in earthen dwellings are at risk. This article presents preliminary results from an ongoing project undertaken at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), whose main objective is the development of reinforcement techniques for earthen constructions located in seismic areas. Two techniques have been investigated: the repair of seismic damage by liquid mud (grout) injection in adobe cracked walls, and the reinforcement of earthen constructions by covering all the walls with an orthogonal mesh made of nylon ropes. The repair of adobe walls via mud injection was studied by performing cyclic tests of adobe masonry specimens and with shaking table tests of full-scale adobe models. It was found that sealing the cracks with mud is not sufficient to recover the original strength and stiffness of the adobe walls. As a result, mud injection should be combined with an additional reinforcement system. Another full-scale adobe model was built and subjected to strong seismic-like shaking. The damaged model was then repaired with liquid mud grout injection and reinforced with a nylon rope mesh which covered all the walls. Each rope was tensioned with metal turnbuckles. The repaired and reinforced model was tested again on the shaking table. In spite of the significant damage on the adobe walls, the provided reinforcement was capable of maintaining the structural integrity and stability of the adobe model. Currently, analytical and numerical studies are being conducted to develop simple analysis procedures and design guidelines for the reinforcement of earthen buildings with orthogonal meshes made with ropes. Once these studies are completed a new full-scale adobe model will be tested on the shaking table to validate the design guidelines and the proposed construction procedures for seismically safe earthen buildings. It is hoped that the results obtained will contribute to the protection of vernacular and historical earthen buildings located in seismic areas.

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