Compressive behavior of masonry columns confined with basalt textile-reinforced concrete

This paper investigates the effect of basalt textile reinforced concrete (BTRC) confinement on the compressive behavior of masonry columns. The study involved testing thirty-four masonry columns with a rectangular cross-section under concentric and eccentric compression while varying the loading eccentricity and the number of basalt textile layers. The experimental results were analyzed in terms of crack patterns and load-displacement curves, with extracted parameters used to evaluate the compressive performance of BTRC-confined masonry. Results indicate that the BTRC jacketing considerably enhances the load-carrying capacity of masonry columns compared to unstrengthened ones, with higher efficiency observed under eccentric loading. Existing strength models were used to predict the strength enhancement from the BTRC jacket, with some models providing relatively accurate predictions. However, for eccentrically-loaded masonry columns confined with a BTRC jacket, predictions derived from sectional analysis tended to be conservative. Further experiments are needed to establish reliable strength models and accurate sectional analysis methods. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that BTRC confinement can be an effective way to improve the compressive behavior of masonry columns and could be advantageous in the design of masonry structures in earthquake-prone regions.