Traditional timber frame walls are constructive elements representative of different timber frame buildings that are well known as one of the most efficient seismic resistant structures in the world. Timber frame walls were also used in the reconstruction of buildings of the old town of Lisbon after the earthquake of 1755 aiming at improving their seismic global behaviour. As it is important to preserve these structures, a better knowledge about their behaviour under seismic actions is important and can give some indications about possible retrofitting techniques to be used to improve the seismic performance. Due to the great rehabilitation effort currently carried out in many countries, a better understanding of retrofitting techniques is also needed. Therefore, this paper aims at providing a study on possible retrofitting techniques adopting traditional solutions such as bolts and steel plates. Static cyclic tests have been performed on retrofitted traditional timber frame walls in order to study their seismic performance. The experimental results showed the overall good seismic performance of steel plates and the more ductile behaviour of retrofitted timber frame walls with bolts

To evaluate the bond behavior between glulam and GFRP rods, applied according to the nearsurface mounted strengthening technique, an experimental program composed of beam and direct pullout tests was carried. In this experimental program three main variables were analyzed: the GFRP type, the GFRP location into the groove, and the bond length. From the monitoring system it was registered the loaded and free end slips, and the pullout force. Based on these experimental results, and applying an analytical-numerical strategy, the local bond stress-slip relationship was calculated. In this work the tests are described, the obtained results are presented and discussed, and the applicability of the inverse analysis to obtain the local bond law is demonstrated.

With the aim of evaluating the bond behaviour between glulam and carbon fibre reinforced polymer laminates strips, an experimental program using pull-out tests was carried, when the near-surface strengthening technique is applied. Two main variables were studied: the bond length and the type of pull-out test configuration. The instrumentation included the loaded and free-end slips, as well as the pullout force. Based on the obtained experimental results, and applying an analytical-numerical strategy, the local bond stress-slip relationship was determined. In this work the tests are described, the obtained results are presented and analysed, and the applicability of an inverse analysis to obtain the local bond law is demonstrated.

Timber frame buildings are well known as an efficient seismic resistant structure popular all over the world not only due to their seismic performance, but also to their low cost and the strength they offer. These constructions still exist today and it is important to be able to preserve them, so a better knowledge on their behaviour is sought. Furthermore, historic technologies could be used even in modern constructions to build seismic resistant buildings using more natural materials with lesser costs.A great rehabilitation effort is being carried out on this type of buildings, as their neglect has led to decay or their change in use and alterations to the structure has led to the need to retrofit such buildings; only recently studies on their behaviour have become available and only a few of them address the issue of possible strengthening techniques for this kind of walls.In this scope, an innovative retrofitting technique (near surface mounted steel flat bars) is proposed and validated on traditional timber frame walls based on an extensive experimental program. The results of the static cyclic tests on distinct wall typologies retrofitted with the NSM technique are

Abstract. Full-scale slab strips were tested in order to analyze the flexural response of GFRP-glulam slab systems under monotonic loading. The type of strengthening technique (externally bonded reinforcement -EBR and near-surface mounted -NSM) and the increase target in terms of ultimate load capacity (20% and 40%) were the main studied parameters. GFRP sheets were utilized in the EBR technique, while GFRP rods were applied in NSM technique. In this work the tests are described in detail, and the obtained results are presented and discussed.