materials-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Repair, Reinforcement, Conservation of Existing Building Stock: Materials, Methods, and Assessment

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 15005

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Technology, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
Interests: retrofitting buildings; sustainable construction materials; new advanced materials for upgrading of existing masonry and wood historic constructions; structural analysis and retrofitting of historic constructions; mechanics of structures and experimental analysis of existing structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue (SI) publishes original research articles, review articles, and short communications covering repair, reinforcement, and conservation methods and materials of existing building stock (steel, masonry, timber, reinforced concrete, and glass structures). The SI will reflect the application possibilities of new sustainable materials and methods, advanced materials, natural-fiber composites, mortars, alloys, and metals, inspiring the creation of next-generation solutions beyond conventional construction materials and traditional intervention methods and materials. We welcome reports from innovative applications and case studies and test projects. Computational and analytical manuscripts are also of interest provided they are design- or application-oriented. Reinforcement and conservation techniques and materials from interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations are particularly welcome. Articles with a focus on the effects of climate change, natural and man-made hazards, and combined hazards in existing building stock are invited.

Prof. Dr. Marco Corradi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • steel structures
  • masonry structures
  • timber structures
  • concrete structures
  • glass structures
  • earthquake engineering
  • natural fiber materials
  • composite materials
  • advanced materials
  • mortars and stonework
  • natural hazards
  • climate change
  • combined hazards

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 9257 KiB  
Article
Physical-Mechanical Properties of Stone Masonry of Gjirokastër, Albania
by Enea Mustafaraj, Erion Luga, Marco Corradi, Antonio Borri, Ylber Muceku and Aleksandra Zharkalli
Materials 2021, 14(5), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051127 - 27 Feb 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3998
Abstract
In addition to reinforced concrete and steel buildings, a large part of the existing building stock in Europe is made of stone masonry. Prediction of the structural behavior requires the development of a systematic material characterization of the mechanical properties and structural details [...] Read more.
In addition to reinforced concrete and steel buildings, a large part of the existing building stock in Europe is made of stone masonry. Prediction of the structural behavior requires the development of a systematic material characterization of the mechanical properties and structural details (units, arrangement, bonding, inter-connection). This study aims to analyze the mechanical and physical behavior of building stones in the historical city of Gjirokastër, Albania, known also as the Stone City. A thorough investigation of the regional stone quarries was performed, and the collected samples were cut into regular prismatic specimens for further analysis. The experimental campaign consisted of the determination of flexural strength and compressive strength, water absorption, porosity, specific gravity as well as structural analysis of the masonry material, using the MQI (Masonry Quality Index) method. The test results showed that there is a large scattering in the values of the mechanical and physical stone properties such as compressive strength varying from 20 to 115 MPa and flexural strength from 8 to 25 MPa. However, the analysis of the masonry material revealed a satisfactory structural performance, based on a frequent, systematic respect of the good construction practices (i.e., the rules of the art) in Gjirokastër. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 12974 KiB  
Article
Semi-Destructive and Non-Destructive Tests of Timber Structure of Various Moisture Contents
by Justyna Jaskowska-Lemańska and Elżbieta Przesmycka
Materials 2021, 14(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14010096 - 28 Dec 2020
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3047
Abstract
The condition of heritage and historic timber constructions depends on how they are exploited. Numerous environmental factors degrade the physical and mechanical properties of timber and hence, affect the load-bearing capacity of constructions. As a result, frequent evaluations of their technical condition become [...] Read more.
The condition of heritage and historic timber constructions depends on how they are exploited. Numerous environmental factors degrade the physical and mechanical properties of timber and hence, affect the load-bearing capacity of constructions. As a result, frequent evaluations of their technical condition become necessary. Currently, modern technologies allow for extensive diagnostics of timber constructions using non-destructive and semi-destructive methods; yet, in contrast to classical laboratory tests, there is insufficient knowledge of the impact of individual factors on the results of such studies. This article presents an assessment of the influence of the moisture content of timber elements on the results of ultrasonic stress wave, sclerometric, and resistance drilling tests. Additionally, computed tomography scans were performed on selected samples to demonstrate the destruction mechanism occurring during the semi-destructive tests. The research involved three types of wood: pine, spruce, and fir of different moisture contents. The results reveal a strong relation between the moisture of timber and all the tests conducted in terms of both hygroscopic and capillary moisture. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 5013 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Analytical Study of Masonry Subjected to Uniaxial Cyclic Compression
by Julian Thamboo, Janaka Bandara, Sithara Perera, Satheeskumar Navaratnam, Keerthan Poologanathan and Marco Corradi
Materials 2020, 13(20), 4505; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13204505 - 11 Oct 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2707
Abstract
Structural evaluation of masonry against dynamic seismic actions invariably requires appropriate cyclic compression constitutive models. However, not many research studies have been dedicated to date to investigate the cyclic compression behaviour of masonry. Therefore, series of experimental investigation followed by analytical model verification [...] Read more.
Structural evaluation of masonry against dynamic seismic actions invariably requires appropriate cyclic compression constitutive models. However, not many research studies have been dedicated to date to investigate the cyclic compression behaviour of masonry. Therefore, series of experimental investigation followed by analytical model verification were employed in this research to better understand the cyclic compression characteristics of masonry. Twelve masonry wallettes were experimentally tested under cyclic compression loading with different unit-to-mortar assemblies, which are commonly found in masonry structures. The experimental results indicated that the cyclic compression behaviour is greatly influenced by the masonry compressive strength and deformation properties. Thereafter, the ability of five literature analytical models to predict the masonry structural response under cyclic compression loading was investigated. The advantages and limitations of these models are presented and discussed, and the most appropriate analytical model to define the cyclic compression characteristics of masonry has been evaluated and reported. The suggested analytical model is shown to predict the cyclic compression characteristics of different masonry assemblies such as the envelop response, the stiffness degradation, the plastic strain history of the unloading and reloading stages. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 10970 KiB  
Article
Polypropylene as a Retrofitting Material for Shear Walls
by Enea Mustafaraj, Yavuz Yardim, Marco Corradi and Antonio Borri
Materials 2020, 13(11), 2503; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13112503 - 30 May 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4195
Abstract
In recent years, on account of their excellent mechanical properties, composite materials (made of epoxy-bonded carbon, glass, or aramid fibers) have been used to reinforce masonry walls against in-plane actions. These materials have proven to be an effective solution for the strengthening of [...] Read more.
In recent years, on account of their excellent mechanical properties, composite materials (made of epoxy-bonded carbon, glass, or aramid fibers) have been used to reinforce masonry walls against in-plane actions. These materials have proven to be an effective solution for the strengthening of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls. Lately, research has shifted to the study of different types of fibers to avoid the use of epoxy adhesives, whose long-term behavior and compatibility with masonry are poor. This paper describes an experimental program that investigated the behavior of URM shear walls strengthened with two types of commercially available polypropylene products: short fibers (fiber length = 12 mm) and polypropylene nets. This investigation aimed to evaluate the influence of polypropylene reinforcement, embedded into an inorganic matrix, in terms of the improvement of the lateral load-carrying capacity, failure mechanism, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity of URM wall panels, where nine walls were subjected to in-plane loads using a racking test setup. The study showed that using two layers of polypropylene fibers embedded into a cementitious matrix greatly increased the in-plane load capacity of the brickwork masonry. On the other hand, the test results indicated that polypropylene nets, used as a repair method for cracked shear walls, cannot improve the structural performance of the walls. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop