Restoration of a historical monument –

Old State House - Arkansas

 Modern solutions
to rehabilitate masonry structures

Lecture 5
Undergraduate Program in Civil Engineering
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Building Services
Technical University “Gheorghe Asachi” Iasi
Modern solutions are based on:

„ materials  used  for  better  adherence  with  the 

existing construction;
„ sustainable  concept  applied  to  materials, 
technologies and maintenance;

„ applying a multi‐tasking solution.
Damages to brick walls
Damages to brick walls
 Factors to consider when rehabilitating a
masonry structure
„ the age of the building;
„ the masonry type;
„ stone
„ brick
„ the type of the join(t)ing material between the
masonry stone
„ dry masonry
„ loam or lime mortar
„ cement mortar
„ the structural system:
„ plain masonry
„ masonry with metallic elements
„ masonry with reinforced concrete columns and girdles/belts
„ the foundation type
Masonry damage due to local soil degradation

DECREASED BEARING CAPACITY

OF SOIL AT PRESENT
Local failures
Typical failure of masonry structure
during earthquakes
Case study – dwelling in Galaţi
Water infiltration in the soil
Degradation of the ceiling and walls
Damaged lintels
Evidence marks to monitor the developing
of further cracks
Masonry rehabilitation must include:

„ the removal of the possible causes of material

degradation,

„ improving the load transmission to foundations,

„ joining the contiguous vertical elements,

„ achieving co-working between vertical structural

elements

„ avoiding changes in the structural system,

Local protection when working at the foundation
Preservation of the front walls
solutions for masonry structure rehabilitation

„ displaced masonry recovery;

„ partial concreting with concrete denticulations;
„ crack and craze injection and caulking;
„ crack fastening with steel dogs;
„ wall jacketing;
„ opening planking;
„ corner area binding;
„ cross-tie implementation;
„ the use of metallic cover plates;
„ horizontal and vertical reinforced concrete element placement;
„ composite material jacketing.
Masonry preparations

„ the existing plastering removal;

„ joint deepening for 15-20 mm;

„ the inadherent material removal by wire brush rubbing till

the opening of the masonry stone pores;

„ the air blast of the cleaned areas to remove the dust.

displaced masonry recovery
 Repointing
masonry
1 – masonry wall;
2 – crack;
3 – empty wall space by removing
damaged brick units;
4 – lateral surface cleaned up with
the wire brush;
5 – wall space to repoint with new
brick units;
6 – replaced masonry work;
7 – reinforcement (welded mesh)
within the cement mortar;
8 – lateral surface where the base
layer is spread before the joint
mortar
Incorrect repointing of masonry walls
 Masonry injection

„ removing the dust from the crack by means of a compressed-air jet;

„ washing the crack with a water jet if injection is done with grouting or
cement mortar;
„ introducing some fittings in the walls, 5 cm deep and 1 m from one
another along the crack to facilitate injection;
„ applying coating with a cement mortar layer on both sides of the cracked
areas (crack caulking);
„ a bottom to top injection with a pressure of maximum 3 atm. When the
injection material reaches this level, vertical injection is performed
through the next fitting;
„ fitting removal after the injection material has hardened and the areas
have been repaired.
Wall jacketing/coating/strengthening

STEEL
DOGS

10-15

20 c m
20 c m

The thickness of the jacket will be of:

4 cm in case of using mortar
10 cm when using concrete
 Opening planking

BOUNDING
DOGS MEMBER
A- A A- A

A A A A
10 3-5
REINFORCED
RAMA DIN METALLIC
CONCRETE
BETON ARMAT
FRAME FRAMING
 Corner area binding

10
 Cross-tie system

1
CROSSING CRAMP
FRONT MEMBER CROSS-TIE
PLATE

CROSSING
CROSS-TIE MEMBER
CONNECTING
NUT 1 1- 1
Introducing reinforced concrete belts/girdles

80 - 100 cm CONNECTOR EXISTING MASONRY

REINFORCED CONCRETE
BELT
Case study – Banffy Castle, Botinda
Masonry of
stones &
bricks
Mortar samples
Restoration of the wall cornice at the main entrance
Restoration and
strengthening
works
Mosque of
Mopti - Mali
 Block of flats
1960 - Canada
Damages of brick masonry walls – cracks, local failures
Repointing the brick works
 Block of flats
1973 - Ontario
EXTERIOR INSULATION FINISHING SYSTEM - EIFS
Conclusive remarks

„ Rehabilitation of masonry structures have the

particularity that:

‰ It is difficult to assess the structural improvement in

terms of material properties after repairs are made;

‰ All operations require a special skill of workers and

less technological newness.