Flexural tests of granite reinforced by titanium bars

摘要

Granite is one of the most widely used stones in construction throughout history in Korea due to its excellent weathering resistance, fire resistance, durability, abundant reserves, and high compressive strength. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the restoration and repair of the stone made architectural heritage. To date, several methodologies for strengthening broken or fractured stone have been suggested, but there has rarely been experimental verification. Even structural code provisions for reinforced granite are yet to be established. In this study, experiments on granite reinforced with titanium bars were carried out to verify the feasibility of the suggested strengthening method. In particular, the effect of the reinforcement ratio and bar positioning on the structural response are explored. Test results showed that the flexural behavior was highly dependent on the reinforcement ratio and bar positioning. Also, the use of threaded titanium bars leads to improved displacement capacity and enables ductile behavior. Based on the experimental results, this study proposes a design method for reinforcing granite to secure its structural safety.CO 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.