Reinforcement of old masonry using sisal fibers
solid bricks masonry; old structures; sisal fiber; structural rehab; masonry reinforce
This research consists in the study of mechanical behavior of sisal fiber reinfoced solid brick masonry. The use of natural fibers as structural reinforcement proposes a positive ecological appeal, as it is a natural , sustainable, renewable and low environmetal impact material, as well as having great socioeconomic importance, as it is successfully cultivated in the northeast semiarid of Brazil. Futhermore, the effects of natural fibers in masonry as an alternative to application of more common fibers, such as glass fiber and carbon fiber, which have expensive applications, are also studied. To obtain and analize results, laboratory tests were perfomed, such as tensile strenght, compressive strenght and flexural strenght. At the end of this paper, results are presented for comparison and use to solve practical engineering problems.